Optical turbulence distorts beam amplitude and phase, causing spreading, wandering, and irradiance fluctuations. Reconstructing perturbed beams’ complex fields is experimentally challenging due to these dynamic effects. Our complex phase retrieval technique, using binary amplitude modulation with a DMD and high-speed camera, characterizes collimated beams through turbulence and overcomes interferometric limitations. Conventionally, phase retrieval modulates optical fields via random coded apertures (RCA) to recover amplitude and phase without prior knowledge, solving ill-posed problems with phase-lift algorithms. Our previous approach required ≥20 apertures, increasing acquisition time and complexity. We designed a new coded aperture, reducing time and enhancing quality over traditional RCA. Then we apply a novel deep-learning phase unwrapping algorithm enabling efficient unwrapping of phases with turbulence-induced branch point singularities manifesting as vortices. This is the first experimental observation of turbulence complex wavefronts reconstructed with high spatial resolution and sampling rate. We discuss observed statistical properties and compare with current models.
Any beam that propagates through optical turbulence will experience distortions in both its amplitude and phase, leading to various effects such as beam wandering, beam spreading, and irradiance fluctuations. Reconstructing the complete field of a perturbed beam is a challenging task due to the dynamic nature of these effects. Interferometric wavefront reconstruction techniques—such as those based on holography—are commonly used but are hindered by their sensitivity to environmental disturbances and alignment errors. However, new complex phase retrieval methods based on propagation equations have emerged, which do not require prior knowledge of the beam to be reconstructed and are suitable for amplitude or phase objects, or both. We propose an experimental implementation of a complex phase retrieval technique for characterizing Gaussian beams propagating through optical turbulence, using binary amplitude modulation with a digital micro-mirror device (DMD). This approach is ideal for dynamic applications and has enabled us to achieve experimental high-speed complex wavefront reconstruction of optical beams through controlled real turbulence. This experiment corresponds to the initial step in our research focused on gaining a deeper understanding of optical turbulence from an experimental perspective.
Optical turbulence induces distortions in amplitude and phase in any beam propagating through it, resulting in beam spreading, beam wandering, and irradiance fluctuations among other effects. Due to the dynamic nature of these effects, the complex field reconstruction of a perturbed beam presents a great experimental challenge. Interferometric wavefront reconstruction techniques require very sophisticated assemblies prone to alignment errors due to their high sensitivity to environmental disturbances. This hinders its experimental implementation. New complex phase retrieval methods overcome most of the limitations of interferometric methods: they are suitable for amplitude or phase objects (or both) and their reconstruction algorithms—based on propagation equations—make unnecessary any a-priori knowledge of the beam to be reconstructed. We propose an experimental implementation of a complex phase retrieval technique for the characterization of Gaussian beams propagating through turbulence. This technique is based on binary amplitude modulation using a digital micro-mirror device (DMD) which has proven to be suitable for dynamic applications. To our knowledge, this is the first experimental high-speed complex wavefront reconstruction of optical beams—by binary amplitude modulation—through controlled real turbulence. This experiment represents the first step in our research focused on understanding optical turbulence from an experimental point of view.
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