Abstract
Adaptive optics is rapidly transforming microscopy and high-resolution ophthalmic imaging. The adaptive elements commonly used to control optical wavefronts are liquid crystal spatial light modulators and deformable mirrors. We introduce a novel Multi-actuator Adaptive Lens that can correct aberrations to high order, and which has the potential to increase the spread of adaptive optics to many new applications by simplifying its integration with existing systems. Our method combines an adaptive lens with an imaged-based optimization control that allows the correction of images to the diffraction limit, and provides a reduction of hardware complexity with respect to existing state-of-the-art adaptive optics systems. The Multi-actuator Adaptive Lens design that we present can correct wavefront aberrations up to the 4th order of the Zernike polynomial characterization. The performance of the Multi-actuator Adaptive Lens is demonstrated in a wide field microscope, using a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor for closed loop control. The Multi-actuator Adaptive Lens and image-based wavefront-sensorless control were also integrated into the objective of a Fourier Domain Optical Coherence Tomography system for in vivo imaging of mouse retinal structures. The experimental results demonstrate that the insertion of the Multi-actuator Objective Lens can generate arbitrary wavefronts to correct aberrations down to the diffraction limit, and can be easily integrated into optical systems to improve the quality of aberrated images.
Highlights
Adaptive Optics (AO) is a well-established branch of optics that is contributing to important advancements in many different fields of science, including astronomy, microscopy, ophthalmology, vision science, laser beam shaping and coherent control, and atmospheric propagation
We present a Multi-actuator Adaptive Lens (M-AL) that can correct for arbitrary aberrations
We presented a new type of refractive wavefront modulator and describe its advantages for use in high resolution in vivo imaging of mouse retina
Summary
Adaptive Optics (AO) is a well-established branch of optics that is contributing to important advancements in many different fields of science, including astronomy, microscopy, ophthalmology, vision science, laser beam shaping and coherent control, and atmospheric propagation. Other examples of adaptive lenses make use of different actuator stimuli or smart materials, including reconcentration distribution [8], hydrogels [9], piezoelectric pump chamber [10], polarization modulation [11], dielectric elastomers [12], bioinspired mimicry of the human eye’s accommodation [13] and acousto-optic modulation [14,15,16]. Such lenses provide examples of successful refractive devices, they generally cannot correct higher order aberrations. As illustrated in [Fig. 1(c)], the M-AL can be implemented in a generic optical system by the addition of the adaptive lens to the objective lens
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