A provided optical-phase-distribution measuring method, by which optical
phase distribution is identified at high speed and with high accuracy
from information on light-intensity distribution without using a special
measuring device, comprises steps: for inputting light to be measured to
optical systems, respectively, modulating the intensity and the phase,
detecting the output light to be measured with CCD, and measuring the
intensity distribution of detected light to be measured as an image with
an optical-phase-distribution measuring system provided with the two
different optical systems; for setting an observation equation, based on
the intensity distribution and on the optical characteristics of the
optical systems; for setting a phase-distribution identification
inverse-problem from the observation equation, and formulating the set
phase-distribution identification inverse-problem as a first nonlinear
optimization problem in which complex amplitude representing the light to
be measured is assumed to be a design variable; for converting the first
nonlinear optimization problem to a second nonlinear optimization
problem, in which expansion coefficients in a series expansion are
assumed to be design variables, by series expansion of the phase
distribution of the light to be measured; and for identifying the phase
distribution of the light to be measured by solving the second nonlinear
optimization problem.