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Design of a nonnull interferometer for aspheric wave fronts.
John E Greivenkamp1, Robert O Gappinger
1Optical Sciences Center, University of Arizona, 1630 East University Boulevard, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA. greiven@arizona.edu
Applied Optics
|October 12, 2004
Summary
System calibration is crucial for interferometers measuring aspheric wave fronts. A new non-null interferometer design accounts for wave-front propagation, enabling accurate testing of components like lenses and windows.
Area of Science:
- Optical engineering
- Metrology
Background:
- Interferometers require calibration when measuring highly aspheric wave fronts.
- System design must address dynamic range, vignetting, and component characterization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a non-null interferometer for measuring aspheric transmitted wave fronts.
- To describe the design process for such an interferometer.
Main Methods:
- Designing an interferometer based on wave-front propagation, not reference sphere aberrations.
- Implementing a non-null design for aspheric wave front measurement.
Main Results:
- A non-null interferometer system was successfully developed.
- The system demonstrated applicability by measuring aspheric transmitted wave fronts for a conformal window and a progressive-addition bifocal lens.
Conclusions:
- The developed non-null interferometer effectively measures aspheric transmitted wave fronts.
- The design considerations enable accurate characterization of optical components with aspheric surfaces.