Laser differential confocal radius measurement method for the cylindrical surfaces.

Area of Science:

• Optical metrology
• Precision engineering
• Lens manufacturing

Background:

• Accurate measurement of cylindrical lens radius of curvature is critical for optical system performance.
• Existing measurement techniques often lack sufficient precision or are susceptible to environmental interference.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and validate a novel high-accuracy method for measuring the radius of curvature of cylindrical lenses.
• To introduce the laser differential confocal cylindrical radius of curvature measurement (DCCRM) method.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing a differential confocal system (DCS) to identify the cat's eye and confocal positions of the cylindrical lens.
• Employing the null point of the DCS axial intensity curve for precise position identification.
• Measuring the distance between identified positions with a laser distance instrument.

Main Results:

• The DCCRM method achieves high measurement precision for cylindrical lenses.
• Demonstrated strong environmental anti-interference capability compared to existing methods.
• Preliminary experimental results show a relative measurement uncertainty better than 0.03%.

Conclusions:

• The proposed DCCRM method provides a new, highly precise approach for cylindrical lens radius of curvature measurement.
• The method offers superior accuracy and environmental stability for optical metrology applications.