Optical wavefront sensing

Optical wavefront sensing is a technique used to measure how light waves change as they travel through and reflect off objects or lenses. When light passes through Earth's atmosphere or imperfect optical systems, it becomes distorted, causing images to blur. Wavefront sensors detect these distortions by analyzing the shape of the incoming light wavefronts. This information helps engineers correct the distortions using devices like deformable mirrors, resulting in clearer, sharper images—crucial in applications like telescopes and microscopy. Essentially, it's a way to "see" and fix the imperfections in how light is moving or being affected.