Simple fiber-optic autocollimation method for determining the focal lengths of optical elements

A novel simple fiber-optic autocollimation method for determining the focal lengths of lenses and objectives is presented. This method is based on the intensity sensing of reflected light, photoelectric measurement, and the use of single-mode optical fiber. This fiber serves simultaneously as a point light source for the formation of a collimated input laser beam and as a receiver that is highly sensitive to spatial displacements for the autocollimation backreflectance. The method permits us to locate the focal point spatially and to determine the back focal length of a focusing optical element with accuracies exceeding 1 and 2 microm, respectively, which are confirmed by both experimental and analytical investigations.