Fast non-linear Zernike filter for optical phase visualization based on ferroelectric liquid crystal optically addressed spatial light modulator

Summary form only given. High-resolution adaptive wavefront sensing and wavefront control are complementary problems. Upcoming new devices for wavefront compensation like liquid crystal spatial light modulators (SLM) and micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) potentially provide the wavefront compensation with spatial resolution on the order of 10/sup 4/-10/sup 6/ elements. Such resolution requires use of new optical wavefront sensors. In our paper we proposed a new phase visualization method originating from classical phase contrast technique using non-linear Zernike (NZ) filter based on optically addressed SLM (OASLM) with planarly aligned nematic liquid crystal.