Analysis of the disturbing diffraction orders of computer-generated holograms used for testing optical aspherics

Aspheric surfaces are increasingly used in the design of high-quality optical imaging systems. Therefore accurate testing methods for aspherics are also necessary. One possibility is to use a computer-generated hologram (CGH) as a part of a null lens in an interferometric testing device. However, CGHs normally have more than one diffraction order, thus causing disturbing areas in the interferogram. Here a simple approximative analytical expression is given for the spatial frequencies of the disturbing light in the interferogram coming from the different diffraction orders of the CGH. This expression also enables one to calculate the size and the shape of the disturbing areas in the interferogram. Some design examples for CGHs are given in an application of the expression.