Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Eccentricity of an Ellipse

Eccentricity of an Ellipse

An ellipse is a fundamental conic section defined by the constant sum of distances from any point on its curve to two fixed points, known as the foci. This geometric property can be physically demonstrated using a pencil, string, and two pins. By anchoring the string at both ends and maintaining it taut with a pencil, one can trace the outline of an ellipse.The shape and extent of the ellipse are determined by its eccentricity, e, defined as the ratio of the distance between the center and a...

Ellipses

Ellipses

An ellipse is formed when a right circular cone is intersected by an inclined plane that does not cut through its base. This intersection yields a closed, symmetric curve characterized by distinctive geometric properties. Most notably, an ellipse is defined as the collection of all points in a plane for which the combined distances to two fixed points—called the foci—remain constant.The ellipse features two principal axes: the major and the minor axes. The major axis is the longest diameter,...

NMR Spectrometers: Resolution and Error Correction

NMR Spectrometers: Resolution and Error Correction

When magnetic nuclei in a sample achieve resonance and undergo relaxation, the signal detected in NMR is an approximately exponential free induction decay. Fourier transform of an exponential decay yields a Lorentzian peak in the frequency domain. Lorentzian peaks in an NMR spectrum are defined by their amplitude, full width at half maximum, and position, where the peak width is governed by the spin-spin relaxation time alone. In real experiments, however, the applied magnetic field is rendered...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same journal

Multifunctional reconfigurable terahertz metasurface based on vanadium dioxide phase transition: achieving broadband absorption and efficient polarization conversion.

Applied optics·2026

Same journal

High-Q-factor electromagnetically induced transparency utilizing quasi-bound states in the continuum in an all-dielectric terahertz metasurface.

Applied optics·2026

Same journal

Automated stitching interferometry for high-precision metrology of X-ray mirrors.

Applied optics·2026

Same journal

Experimental demonstration of an approach to designing a metal-dielectric DBR resonant cavity structure.

Applied optics·2026

Same journal

High-precision wavefront reconstruction from a single-shot interferogram using a physics-driven hybrid feature calibration network.

Applied optics·2026

Same journal

Ultra-high-Q Fano resonance based on coupled topological corner states in Kagome photonic crystals.

Applied optics·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 14, 2026

The Generation of Higher-order Laguerre-Gauss Optical Beams for High-precision Interferometry

The Generation of Higher-order Laguerre-Gauss Optical Beams for High-precision Interferometry

Published on: August 12, 2013

Precision of ellipsometer nulling.

|March 24, 2010

Summary

A new least squares method precisely nulls ellipsometer arrangements, calculating null setting errors. This method simplifies analysis for common PCSA and PSCA ellipsometers, accounting for noise and sample properties.

Area of Science:

Optical Physics
Metrology

Background:

Ellipsometry is a powerful optical technique for characterizing thin films and surfaces.
Precise nulling is crucial for accurate ellipsometric measurements.
Existing methods may lack generality or simplicity for arbitrary arrangements.

Purpose of the Study:

To present a least squares method for precise nulling of arbitrary ellipsometer arrangements.
To calculate the standard errors of the null settings.
To apply the method to common ellipsometer configurations (PCSA, PSCA).

Main Methods:

Development of a general least squares method for nulling.
Calculation of standard errors for null settings.
Application and simplification of formulas for PCSA and PSCA arrangements.

More Related Videos

Cooling Rate Dependent Ellipsometry Measurements to Determine the Dynamics of Thin Glassy Films

Cooling Rate Dependent Ellipsometry Measurements to Determine the Dynamics of Thin Glassy Films

Published on: January 26, 2016

Experimental and Data Analysis Workflow for Soft Matter Nanoindentation

Experimental and Data Analysis Workflow for Soft Matter Nanoindentation

Published on: January 18, 2022

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 14, 2026

The Generation of Higher-order Laguerre-Gauss Optical Beams for High-precision Interferometry

The Generation of Higher-order Laguerre-Gauss Optical Beams for High-precision Interferometry

Published on: August 12, 2013

Cooling Rate Dependent Ellipsometry Measurements to Determine the Dynamics of Thin Glassy Films

Cooling Rate Dependent Ellipsometry Measurements to Determine the Dynamics of Thin Glassy Films

Published on: January 26, 2016

Experimental and Data Analysis Workflow for Soft Matter Nanoindentation

Experimental and Data Analysis Workflow for Soft Matter Nanoindentation

Published on: January 18, 2022

Main Results:

General expressions for nulling and standard errors derived.
Simple closed-form formulas obtained for PCSA and PSCA ellipsometers.
Formulas reveal the impact of light noise, extinction ratio, and sample properties (reflectivity, ellipsometric angles).
Analysis of coupling effects, showing minimal impact on precision with the least squares method for PSCA.

Conclusions:

The presented least squares method offers precise nulling for arbitrary ellipsometers.
The derived formulas provide insights into error sources and their influence on measurement precision.
The method is robust and simplifies analysis for standard ellipsometer configurations.