Comparing thin and volume regimes of analog holograms for wavefront sensing

Two analog holographic wavefront sensors, for measurement of defocus, have been fabricated as both thin and volume phase transmission holograms in a self-developing photopolymer. This represents the first reported direct comparison of hologram regimes when designed for wavefront sensing. An analysis of the effect of crosstalk in the presence of one other aberration mode (astigmatism X (0/90 degrees), coma X (horizontal), and primary spherical aberration) was carried out with each version of the sensor. The performance of thin and volume analog holographic wavefront sensors was characterized under emulated conditions associated with moderate atmospheric turbulence. Published by Optica Publishing Group under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.