Two-dimensional high-bandwidth Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor: design guidelines and evaluation testing

A novel two-dimensional high-bandwidth Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor was designed and tested, addressing the high temporal bandwidth of aero-optical aberrations caused by compressible flows. The principle of operation and modifications from an earlier version of the wavefront sensor are presented and compared with a commercially available wavefront sensor with a 33 X 44 subaperture spatial resolution. A two-dimensional wavefront reconstruction algorithm is presented. The comparison was performed over a two-dimensional, acoustically forced heated jet. The high temporal resolution and spatial resolution of the sensor are demonstrated. The results show good agreement between the two sensors. (C) 2010 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers. [DOI: 10.1117/1.3454383]