Thorlabs has released a new high-speed Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor incorporating a CMOS sensor capable of measuring wavefronts at frame rates up to 450Hz. This high-speed mode is made possible by an internal camera processor that frees up the PC to maximise data transfer rates without degrading sensor resolution.
Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensors enable microscopists, astronomers, and remote sensing scientists to measure and actively correct image-degrading optical aberrations. The new high-speed sensor builds on the organisation’s previous success with its 1.3 megapixel high-resolution Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor, which is available standalone or as part of the company's adaptive optics kit.
The new wavefront sensor comes with a choice of three microlens arrays that offer several options for wavelength ranges (400-900nm or 300-1,100nm), lenslet pitch (150 or 300µm), and focal length (3.7, 5.0, or 14.0mm), thereby allowing the user to choose a system with high spatial resolution, enhanced contrast, or high wavefront accuracy. Kits combining two interchangeable microlens arrays are also available.
All Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensors feature a USB connection for PC software control. A graphical user interface is included as well as drivers for LabView and other common software packages.