Adaptive optics apparatus and imaging apparatus including the same

An adaptive optics method comprising:

• a first conversion step of converting a polarization direction of a first of two different polarization components of light to a polarization direction of a second of the two polarization components;
• a spatial light modulation step of modulating the phases of the two polarization components of light, the first polarization component having been converted in the first conversion step and the modulation being in the polarization direction of the converted first polarization component;
• a second conversion step of converting the polarization direction of at least one of the first and second polarization components of the light once modulated in the light modulation step to re-create light with polarization directions that intersect with each other;
• and
• an irradiation step of irradiating the object with the light that has intersecting polarization directions.

An adaptive optics apparatus comprising:

• a first conversion unit configured to convert a polarization direction of one of two polarization components of light to a polarization direction of the other of the polarization components, the light being emitted by a light source;
• a light modulation unit configured to modulate the two polarization components of light converted by the first conversion unit in the polarization directions that have been converted;
• a second conversion unit configured to convert directions of polarization components of the light modulated by the light modulation unit to directions that intersect with each other;
• and
• an irradiation unit configured to irradiate an object with the light that is converted by the light modulation unit.