Research on Optical Metrology for Complex Optical Surfaces with Focal Plane Wavefront Sensing

Area of Science:

• Optical Metrology
• Precision Optics
• Wavefront Sensing

Background:

• Complex optical elements enhance image quality and field of view, crucial for applications like X-ray devices and lasers.
• High-precision testing is essential for complex optical surfaces in precision machining.
• Accurate and efficient measurement of complex optical surfaces remains a challenge in optical metrology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To verify the capability of optical metrology using wavefront sensing based on focal plane image information.
• To validate the feasibility and accuracy of this wavefront-sensing technique for complex optical surfaces.

Main Methods:

• Experimental platforms with diverse optical surfaces were established.
• Repetitive experiments were conducted to ensure reliability.
• Measurements were compared against a ZYGO interferometer for validation.

Main Results:

• Wavefront sensing based on focal plane image information demonstrated good agreement with ZYGO interferometer results.
• Error distribution, PV (peak-to-valley) value, and RMS (root-mean-square) value showed high concordance.
• The technique accurately characterized complex optical surfaces.

Conclusions:

• Wavefront sensing using focal plane image information is a feasible and valid technology for complex optical surface metrology.
• This method offers a promising approach for high-precision testing in precision optics.
• The findings support the use of this technique in advanced optical measurement applications.