title: Compressive wavefront sensing with weak values.
abstract: We demonstrate a wavefront sensor that unites weak measurement and the compressive-sensing, single-pixel camera. Using a high-resolution spatial light modulator (SLM) as a variable waveplate, we weakly couple an optical field's transverse-position and polarization degrees of freedom. By placing random, binary patterns on the SLM, polarization serves as a meter for directly measuring random projections of the wavefront's real and imaginary components. Compressive-sensing optimization techniques can then recover the wavefront. We acquire high quality, 256 × 256 pixel images of the wavefront from only 10,000 projections. Photon-counting detectors give sub-picowatt sensitivity.
authors.forename: Gregory A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Howland
authors.forename: Daniel J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Lum
authors.forename: John C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Howell