Reverse optimization reconstruction of aspheric figure error in a non-null interferometer.

Area of Science:

• Optical Engineering
• Metrology
• Surface Metrology

Background:

• Traditional null testing for aspheric optics has limitations.
• Non-null testing offers greater measurement flexibility but suffers from retrace error, complicating figure-error reconstruction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel method for accurate aspheric figure-error reconstruction in non-null interferometers.
• To address the challenge of retrace error in non-null testing.

Main Methods:

• A reverse optimization approach is developed, utilizing system modeling and polynomial fitting.
• An optimization function is defined using polynomial coefficients of the figure error and detected wavefront data.
• Iterative ray tracing is employed within the reverse optimization process.

Main Results:

• The method successfully reconstructs aspheric figure error with high accuracy, validated by numerical simulations.
• Experimental results confirm the validity and repeatability of the proposed reconstruction technique.
• The approach provides a generalized and effective solution for non-null interferometer data analysis.

Conclusions:

• The novel reverse optimization method effectively reconstructs aspheric figure error in non-null interferometers.
• This technique overcomes the limitations imposed by retrace error, enabling more flexible and accurate measurements.
• The validated method holds significant potential for advancing aspheric optics metrology.