Alternative schemes for multi-reference wavefront sensing

Two conceptual designs have been proposed for a multi-reference wavefront sensor (WFS). For both designs, incoming probing beams from reference sources pass through off-axis optical components positioned just before the sensing plane. This optical configuration separates the beams and allows independent wavefront sensing on a single detector. This feature reduces the size and complexity of the WFS system. An experimental setup has been completed on an optical bench to demonstrate the usability of the two designs. Their advantages and drawback are discussed here. We conclude that both designs are suitable for multi-reference wavefront sensing with a single detector.