The nonlinear curvature wavefront sensor (nlCWFS) has been shown to be a promising alternative to existing wavefront sensor designs. Theoretical studies indicate that the inherent sensitivity of this device could offer up to a factor of 10× improvement compared to the widely-used Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor (SHWFS). The nominal nlCWFS design assumes the use of four detector measurement planes in a symmetric configuration centered around an optical system pupil plane. However, the exact arrangement of these planes can potentially be optimized to improve aberration sensitivity, and minimize the number of iterations involved in the wavefront reconstruction process, and therefore reduce latency. We present a systematic exploration of the parameter space for optimizing the nlCWFS design. Using a suite of simulation tools, we study the effects of measurement plane position on the performance of the nlCWFS and detector pixel sampling. A variety of seeing conditions are explored, assuming Kolmogorov turbulence. Results are presented in terms of residual wavefront error following reconstruction as well as the number of iterations required for solution convergence. Alternative designs to the symmetric four-plane design are studied, including three-plane and five-plane configurations. Finally, we perform a preliminary investigation of the effects of broadband illumination on sensor performance relevant to astronomy and other applications.

We demonstrate the implementation of a ring cavity to enhance the efficiency of parametric fourwave mixing in rubidium. Using an input coupler with 95% reflectance, a finesse of 19.6±0.5 is achieved with a rubidium cell inside. This increases the circulating intensity by a factor of 5.6±0.5, and through two-photon excitation on the 5s 1/2 → 5d 5/2 transition with a single excitation laser, up to 1.9±0.3 mW of power at 420 nm is generated, 50 times what was previously generated with this scheme. The dependence of the output on Rb density and input power has been explored, suggesting the process may be approaching saturation. The blue output of the cavity also shows greatly improved spatial quality, combining to make this a promising source of 420 nm light for future experiments.