A review on self-reference wavefront methods in optical testing

Abstract

For the testing of components and optical systems, there are diverse methods with different characteristics each one; in the presentation will be done a review of some of them, that can be classified as optical testing techniques, using a self-reference wavefront. Some examples are the lateral shearing interferometers (Bates, Ronchi, Murty), point diffraction interferometer (Linnik), Burch’s scattering interferometer, and the knife edge interferometer. Some advantages of such self-reference methods is the fact that are not necessary optical reference surfaces; and usually the light interfering beams have common paths, that implies that the set up is not affected by environment vibrations and other effects.