ABSTRACT
Adaptive optics system development requires a basic understanding of the behavior of light both in terms of classical electromagnetic waves and in terms of the quanta, or photon, phenomena. Key issues relevant to system performance, such as limits to sensitivity, di§raction, transmission, interference, and so on, are explained and calculable given a set of fundamental principles that incorporate the wave theory of optics combined with the quantum mechanical interpretation of the wave ˜elds. ”e wave behavior of light is perhaps best explained using the Huygens wavelet theory, which accurately predicts how the waves propagate and add coherently in space and time. Ultimately, however, our understanding of the detection of light (and the fundamental signal-to-noise limits) requires interpreting the wave amplitudes as probability amplitudes for photon arrivals.
