Patent ID: 7969660

Claim:
A wavefront aberrator that has a stable variable refractive index profile and a stable optical path difference (OPD), wherein the wavefront aberrator comprises: a first transparent plate; a second transparent plate; and a layer of polymerizable material comprising one or more monomers, wherein the layer of polymerizable material is positioned between the first transparent plate and the second transparent plate and wherein the polymerizable material has a stable final variable refractive index profile and a stable final OPD created by a method comprising: a. providing a variable photo-stimulus to the polymerizable material having an initial refractive index to cause the polymerizable material to (i) undergo a variable pattern of polymerization without completely depleting the one or more monomers and (ii) attain a first intermediate variable refractive index profile and an OPD that provides Zernike polynomial terms harmonic to the Zernike polynomial terms provided by the stable variable refractive index profile of the wavefront aberrator; b. promoting a diffusion process within the polymerizable material provided in step (a) to cause diffusion of uncured monomer from lesser cured regions to higher cured regions to attain a second intermediate variable refractive index profile; and c. simultaneously providing a thermal stimulus and a uniform photo-stimulus to the polymerizable material provided in step (b) to cure one or more remaining one or more uncured regions of the polymerizable material to attain the stable final variable refractive index profile and the stable final OPD.