What Is a Wavefront?
In optics, a wavefront is an imaginary surface that connects all points on a light wave that are in phase, meaning they are at the same point in their oscillation cycle.
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Ideal Wavefront
An ideal optical system (like a perfect eye) produces a flat wavefront upon exiting the cornea and lens. A flat wavefront means all light rays are perfectly parallel and focus to a single point.
Aberrated Wavefront
A real eye, due to optical imperfections (aberrations), distorts this flat wavefront into a complex, uneven shape, causing the light rays to focus imperfectly.
Importance
Understanding the shape of the wavefront is central to modern vision correction, as it allows for the measurement of all refractive errors, including high-order aberrations.
What is a 'sphere' in wavefront terms?
Spherical error (myopia/hyperopia) is a low-order aberration represented by a uniform curvature across the wavefront.
What is the reference plane?
The reference plane is the location where the wavefront is typically measured, often corresponding to the pupil plane of the eye.
How is wavefront error expressed?
The difference between the actual wavefront and the ideal flat wavefront is expressed mathematically using Zernike polynomials.