Visualization of Zernike Surfaces

This application enables the visualization of Zernike surfaces and conducts in-depth analysis of optical aberrations using Zernike polynomials through a graphical user interface. The implementation typically involves calculating Zernike polynomial values using radial and azimuthal coordinates, with the surface rendering handled through 3D plotting functions like surf() or mesh() in MATLAB. The GUI components include sliders for adjusting polynomial coefficients (Zernike modes) and dropdown menus for selecting specific aberration types. This program helps users better understand and master the concepts and applications of Zernike polynomials, providing a convenient method to visualize and compare different optical aberration scenarios. Through interactive coefficient manipulation, users can intuitively comprehend aberration issues in optical systems and explore ways to optimize and improve optical system performance. The underlying algorithm employs normalized Zernike polynomials defined on the unit circle, with coordinate transformation handling for non-circular apertures. This serves as a valuable tool for optical engineers and researchers to better understand and address challenges related to optical aberrations, featuring real-time updates of surface plots when modifying Zernike coefficients through callback functions.