Compact adaptive optics

In this presentation we will explore the generalisation of the phase diversity approach, and show what properties the aberration function used should have in order to provide a sensor. We will show that this general approach offers scope for the implementation of adaptive optics systems that can be remarkably compact and in which the corrected image can be stored simultaneously with an estimate of residual wavefront errors averaged over the exposure time. We will consider the issues of data reduction using this generalised approach to reconstruct the input wavefront shape.