Simultaneous design of an optical system and null tests of the components: examples and results from the Large-aperture Synoptic Survey Telescope

Abstract

Optical null tests for three lenses and two subsystems were incorporated into the optical design procedure for the Large-aperture Synoptic Survey Telescope [1]. The "skip surfaces" feature in the OSLO optical design program was crucial. The resulting optical tests were extremely simple, requiring only a retro reflecting spherical or flat mirror. This is only possible because the optical tests were simultaneously designed and optimized as the telescope was designed.