Use of annular subapertures with focus control for testing rotationally symmetric optical systems.

Abstract

A subaperture configuration to test aspheric optical components or systems is developed. The method developed has potential for testing rotationally symmetric aspheres without the use of null lenses. The aperture is divided into annular subaperture regions and an interferometer is refocused for each region to reduce the fringe density. Essential mathematical treatments involving annular subapertures, such as annular Zernike polynomials, are provided in detail. Numerical and experimental validations of the algorithm are described. Tolerance analyses on subaperture measurements are given. Computer programs were written to link the subaperture Zernike coefficients and to determine the full-aperture Zernike coefficients.