A Numerical Algorithm For 2-D Wavefront Reconstruction From Intensity Measurements In A Single Plane

In this paper we develop an algorithm by which, in general, a 2-dimensional wavefront can be reconstructed uniquely, up to conjugation, from intensity measurements in a single plane. Our technique consists of a detailed mathematical analysis employing Fourier theoretic concepts and differential equations. The algorithm is intended not as a practical algorithm, since efficient iterative algorithms have been developed which incorporate known prior information concerning the wavefront, but rather as a means of addressing the uniqueness question.