What Is Zernike Mixing in Optical Materials?

[mellifluidic]

Zernike mixing - ?

Hi. I understand that Zernike was a physicist and that he did some work in optics, and am also aware of the Zernike Polynomials which are used in optics to describe aberrations in lenses, etc. What I do not understand is a comment that I got (from a non-native English speaker) in comparing optical materials (Si and Zr) regarding one having "Zernike Mixing" (apparently not desirable) and another not having it. What is "mixing" in "Zernike Mixing"? Does it refer to the mixing of different kinds of aberrations (polynomials) or something akin?

 

[Andy Resnick]

Zernike polynomials are used to describe aberrations in wave optics and are (sort of) interchangable with Seidel coefficients. Zernike polynomials are orthogonal on the unit circle, so I can't understand what is being 'mixed'. I have never head of the term 'Zernike mixing'.

 

[charng]

Hello, thank you for your question. Zernike mixing refers to the process of combining Zernike polynomials to describe the aberrations present in a particular optical material or system. Zernike polynomials are mathematical functions that are used to describe the shape of an optical wavefront, which can be distorted by imperfections in the material or system. By combining multiple Zernike polynomials, a more accurate description of the aberrations can be achieved.

In the context of comparing Si and Zr, it is possible that the Zr material has a higher level of Zernike mixing, meaning that it requires a larger number of polynomials to accurately describe its aberrations compared to Si. This could potentially indicate that the Zr material has more imperfections or distortions in its optical properties, which may not be desirable in certain applications.

I hope this helps clarify the concept of Zernike mixing for you. If you have any further questions, please let me know. Thank you.