MetroWavefront uses simultaneous phase-shifting interferometric technology to produce multiple phase-shifted interferograms on a high-speed imaging sensor and measure the absolute wavefront phase at significantly higher spatial & temporal resolution compared to conventional wavefronts sensors.
Metro WAVEFRONT
A compact wavefront instrument that works as an attachment to commercially available high-speed cameras
Why Metro WAVEFRONT?
A turnkey wavefront sensing high-speed camera adaptor to perform high signal-to-noise, precise wavefront measurements and determination of aero-optical quantities for sub-, super- and hypersonic flows.
adaptable
Can be adapted to a specific camera sensor
Easy to Operate
Simplified procedures from mounting on high-speed camera to data acquisition
Compact
Small footprint and portable
Point, Connect & SHoot
Pre aligned, point connect and shoot system with an inbuilt continous wavelength laser source.
Temporal resolution
Up to megahertz rate temporal resolution based on camera sensor employed (20 MHz with Shimadzu HPV-X3, 10 MHz with Shimadzu HPV-X2 and 76 KHz with Phantom TMX models).
Absolute Data
Measures the absolute wavefront phase and offers much high spatial resolution than conventional Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensors.
DEPLOYMENT
Large working distance range allows integration with large-scale test facilities such as hypervelocity wind tunnels, shock tubes, gas guns etc.
High-sensitivity
High-sensitivity provides detailed insight for fine scale density structures in the flow feild.
Customizable
Tell us your specific application and imaging system and we will provide you with a MetroWavefront solution!
High-speed camera Integration
MetroWavefront can be adapted to any specific high-speed camera sensor based on user requirements. System specifications depend on the imaging sensor employed. The MetroWavefront instrument can be provided separately or together with a high-speed camera of interest as a unified system.
Phantom TMX sensor MetroWavefront system
Shimadzu HPV-X2 sensor MetroWavefront system
Shimadzu HPV-X3 sensor MetroWavefront system
Metro WAVEFRONT WORKFLOW
A streamlined process from data acquisition to processing and analysis using MetroWavefront software
imaging SETUP
Attach the MetroWavefront instrument with the high-speed camera sensor available using the provided F-mount connection. Point the system to shoot the outgoing laser beam through the test section and setup a reflecting mirror to propagate it back into the MetroWavefront system in a double-pass configuration.
High-speed DATA Acquisition
Record high-speed images of the flow-field using the MetroWavefront system. Save large datasets as required per user application.
Data Processing
MetroWavefront software – our interferogram processing and data analysis powerhouse. Upload MetroWavefront data to compute the spatio-temporal wavefront phase corresponding to every imaging pixel. Exceptional speed realized by GPU-acceleration. Convenient and fast in processing large datasets.
Data Analysis
Compute and visualize aero-optical metrics (e.g. 2D wavefront phase, optical path difference, mean, peak-valley, RMS, Strehl ratio etc). Variety of spatial and temporal analysis tools. .
METRO WAVEFRONT SOFTWARE
MetroWavefront software provides an all-in-one software solution for aero-optical analysis by allowing the user to upload and process the simultaneous phase-shifted interferograms recorded by the high-speed MetroWavefront system to compute the absolute aero-optical quantities (wavefront phase, optical path differences, etc.) across a test region.
User freindly interface
Intuitive and user-friendly graphical user interface enables navigating through data preparation, processing and analysis feel like a breeze.
Process LARGE DATASETS
Use MetroWavefront's GPU acceleration to seamlessly process large datasets.
VISUALIZE AERO-OPTICAL METRICS
Compute and visualize various absolute aero-optical quantities including wavefront phase, OPD, Peak-Valley, Wrms, Strehl ratio etc.
ANalyze
Variety of spatial and temporal data analysis tools. Select, zoom and compare specific regions of interest on the fly. Produce high-fidelity plots or export data to 3rd party code/software for further analysis
DEMONSTRATION
Application of MetroWavefront to a subsonic air jet
Example videos below show the application of a Phantom TMX 7510 camera based MetroWavefront System to investigate flow field produced by a subsonic air jet. Images are acquired at 76,000 frames per second and the plots show optical path difference measurements in micrometers.
Processed wavefront sequence played at 90 FPS showing large-scale vortices. The flow is characterized by the formation of coherent vortical structures arising from shear-layer instabilities at the jet boundary. These structures advect downstream while entraining ambient fluid, leading to progressive broadening of the OPD field and enhanced mixing. Although significant temporal evolution is observed, the flow retains strong spatial organization and does not exhibit the widespread small-scale fluctuations characteristic of fully developed turbulence. The measured OPD fields therefore indicate a transitional jet regime dominated by coherent vortex motion and large-scale entrainment processes.
Processed wavefront sequence played at 90 FPS showing turbulent flow features, mixing and shear-layer structures. The jet generates a broad region of scalar transport extending across much of the observation window. Large coherent structures emerge and evolve continuously, promoting entrainment and mixing while preserving recognizable spatial organization. The OPD field exhibits gradual temporal evolution and large-scale deformation rather than rapid fragmentation into fine-scale features. These observations indicate a flow regime dominated by coherent vortex dynamics and intermediate-scale mixing processes characteristic of a transitional jet.
System specifications
MetroWavefront can be customized to suite any specific high-speed camera sensor based on user requirements. Final system specifications will depend on the imaging sensor employed.
contact us to learn more
MetroLaser will continue to pursue state-of-the-art research and development as well as the commercialization of optical diagnostics systems to measure aero-optical properties, flow velocity, temperature, chemical composition, gas turbine engine surface temperature, and non destructive inspection of composites and other components.