An intelligent method for measuring high refractive index based on optical coherence tomography and image processing.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Optical Metrology
• Image Analysis

Background:

• Accurate refractive index (RI) measurement is crucial for material characterization.
• Existing methods face challenges with irregular shapes and high RI materials.
• Optical Coherent Tomography (OCT) offers high-resolution cross-sectional imaging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a new OCT-based method for measuring the refractive index of irregular high RI materials.
• To enhance the automation and intelligence of RI measurement techniques.
• To assess the method's applicability in industrial settings like jewelry and optical glass manufacturing.

Main Methods:

• Utilized optical coherent tomography (OCT) for image acquisition.
• Implemented image fusion, thresholding, and boundary extraction to isolate sample features.
• Employed Hough transform for precise optical path length extraction from OCT images.
• Validated the method using glass and diamond samples with known refractive indices.

Main Results:

• The developed method successfully measured the refractive index of irregular materials.
• Results showed reasonable consistency with standard refractive index values.
• The Hough transform proved effective for parameter extraction in OCT analysis.

Conclusions:

• The novel OCT-based method provides a reliable approach for measuring high refractive index materials with complex geometries.
• The technique demonstrates potential for improving automation and intelligence in material characterization.
• Significant applications are anticipated in industries requiring precise optical property measurements.