Hartmann sensor tomography for characterization of coherence properties within illumination

Abstract Characterizing the coherence properties of illumination is essential for assessing imaging quality and system performance in various optical systems. This letter aims to highlight Hartmann sensor tomography, a novel approach integrating wavefront sensing with tomographic reconstruction to measure spatial coherence without scanning. Operating in a non-classical regime, the technique utilizes a custom-designed mask and a maximum-likelihood reconstruction algorithm to estimate the coherence matrix with high precision. The method is experimentally validated using partially coherent sources from collimated multimode fibers with varying core diameters, providing diverse test scenarios. These results are compared with the theoretical predictions of the van Cittert-Zernike theorem, showcasing excellent agreement and demonstrating the method’s ability to reconstruct complex coherence structures accurately and efficiently. Hartmann sensor tomography offers a fast and robust alternative to conventional interferometric techniques for analyzing partially coherent fields, paving the way for applications in imaging, diagnostics, adaptive optics, and other areas where rapid and precise coherence characterization is critical.