Abstract

The caustic test is capable of a high degree of accuracy in the measurement of aspheric surfaces. The essence of the test is to measure the locations of the centers of curvature for off-axis zones of an aspheric surface with a modified Foucault test apparatus. We present equations that extend the usefulness of the caustic test to general aspheric surfaces. Equations are also given for calculating derivatives for several caustic test parameters that are useful for tolerancing optical systems or in derivative increment calculations for computer lens design applications. Guidelines are given for the correct use of the caustic test in actual testing setups.

© 1992 Optical Society of America

Improving the accuracy of the caustic test

Dipankar P. K. Banerjee, Roderick V. Willstrop, and Boddapati G. Anandarao
Appl. Opt. 37(7) 1227-1230 (1998)

Testing optical surfaces by the method of the caustic using a phase-stripe as spatial filter

M. C. Simon, J. M. Simon, and E. L de Zenobi
Appl. Opt. 18(9) 1463-1469 (1979)

General equations for the null-screen test for aspherical surfaces with deformation coefficients

Daniel Aguirre-Aguirre, Manuel Campos-García, Rufino Díaz-Uribe, and Brenda Villalobos-Mendoza
Appl. Opt. 57(35) 10230-10238 (2018)

Caustics in a meridional plane produced by plano-convex aspheric lenses

Maximino Avendaño-Alejo
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 30(3) 501-508 (2013)

Testing aspheric surfaces with computer-generated holograms: analysis of adjustment and shape errors

Bernd Dörband and Hans J. Tiziani
Appl. Opt. 24(16) 2604-2611 (1985)