2D phase unwrapping algorithm for interferometric applications based on derivative Zernike polynomial fitting technique

We propose a phase unwrapping method for general interferometric applications. The proposed method relies on a derivative Zernike polynomial fitting (DZPF) technique where the phase is approximated as a combination of Zernike polynomials. The fitting coefficients are then estimated using the least squares method. Thus the phase unwrapping problem is reduced to the calculation of these coefficients. Because of the full field operation, the proposed method is fast and efficient. In addition, the method directly provides the desired phase without the need to compute the misalignment errors further. The method combines the phase unwrapping and the wavefront fitting process. Simulation and experimental results are presented to validate the method's potential.