Modal wavefront reconstruction with Zernike polynomials and eigenfunctions of Laplacian

Modal cross coupling between basis functions in modal wavefront reconstruction is discussed. Eigenfunctions of Laplacian are proposed in modal approach for wavefront reconstruction. As the gradients of the eigenfunctions are orthogonal to each other, the modal cross coupling can be avoided theoretically. Wavefront reconstructions by use of Zernike polynomials and eigenfunctions of Laplacian with different sampling densities are compared. The results show that modal cross coupling between eigenfunctions of Laplacian is much smaller than that between Zernike polynomials.

► Modal cross coupling between basis functions in modal wavefront reconstruction is discussed.
► Wavefront reconstructions with Zernike polynomials and eigenfunctions of Laplacian are compared.
► Modal cross coupling between eigenfunctions of Laplacian is much smaller than that between Zernike polynomials.