Development of a portable deflectometry system for high spatial resolution surface measurements

The Slope-Measuring Portable Optical Test System (SPOTS) is a new, portable, high-resolution, deflectometry device that achieves mid to high (20 to 1000 cyc/m) spatial frequency optical surface metrology with very little filtering and very little noise. Using a proof of concept system, we achieved 1 nm RMS surface accuracy for mid to high spatial frequencies, and 300 nrad RMS slope precision. SPOTS offers a turnkey solution for measuring errors on a wide variety of optical surfaces including the large mirrors fabricated at The University of Arizona. This paper defines and discusses SPOTS, including the principles of operation, measurement modes, design, performance, error analysis, and experimental results.