Measurement of ocular aberrations with an analog holographic wavefront sensor

The analog holographic wavefront sensor (AHWFS) is a modal wavefront sensor that is rapid, computationally simple, cost-effective, and insensitive to scintillation and obscuration. It has received significant interest for free space optical communications applications of late, but until now, its performance has not been assessed for optometric cases. Here, we evaluate the performance of four separate AHWFSs, with varying dynamic range and sensitivity, in measuring defocus amongst various other typical ocular aberrations. This is achieved while using a “virtual eye” displayed on a spatial light modulator, with up to 12 Zernike modes included. The performance of these sensors is compared to that of a Shack–Hartmann wavefront sensor in the same system. The results show that the AHWFSs performs at a high level, albeit less well than the Shack–Hartmann wavefront sensor, with the RMSE and level of intermodal cross-talk highly dependent on the design of the AHWFS.