Abstract

Modern electronics, computers, and software have made it possible to greatly improve the testing of optical components and optical systems and the resulting improvements in the new optical instruments and devices we use are evident. Until recently a major limitation of interferometry for precision metrology was the sensitivity to the environment. In recent years many techniques for performing high quality interferometric measurements in non-ideal environments have been developed and new techniques are being introduced all the time. This talk discusses one very powerful technique for reducing the effects of vibration and atmospheric turbulence on interferometric measurements. The application of this technique for the measurement of surface vibration, the testing of optical components including large astronomical optics, the phasing of segmented optical components, and the measurement of deformations of diffuse structures will be described.

© 2010 Optical Society of America