Single-exposure surface profilometry using partitioned aperture wavefront imaging.

We demonstrate a technique for instantaneous measurements of surface topography based on the combination of a partitioned aperture wavefront imager with a lamp-based reflection microscope using standard objectives. The technique can operate at video rate over large fields of view, and provides nanometer axial resolution and submicrometer lateral resolution. We discuss performance characteristics of this technique, which we experimentally compare with scanning white light interferometry.