A Shack interferometer setup for optical testing in undergraduate courses

Year: 2012

Authors: Vannoni M., Righini A., Salas M., Sordini A., Vanzi L.

Autors Affiliation: CNR—Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, Largo E Fermi 6, 50125 Firenze, Italy; Università degli Studi di Firenze, Dipartimento di Fisica ed Astronomia, Largo E Fermi 2, 50125 Firenze, Italy; Department of Electrical Engineering and Center of Astro-Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Av. Vicu˜na Mackenna 4860, Santiago, Chile

Abstract: The Shack interferometer is a simple and effective device to test optical surfaces in reflection and optical systems in transmission. An essential setup on a reduced scale with a minimum number of components is presented, suited to gain familiarity and practice with optical testing in a laboratory course for undergraduate students. The basic layout and the optics principles are discussed, fringe processing is detailed and the calculation of the point spread function in the presence of typical aberrations is demonstrated.

Journal/Review: EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS

Volume: 33 (3)      Pages from: 573  to: 582

KeyWords: Interferometers; Light transmission; Optical testing; Optical transfer function
DOI: 10.1088/0143-0807/33/3/573

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