Abstract

The caustic test is longstanding in the literature as a very powerful method for determining the surface figure of aspheric concave mirrors. Gaviola¹ first described the test in detail. Until recently, the test had been applied typically to paraboloidal mirrors, although Cornejo-Rodriguez and Malacara² have extended the test to measure conic surfaces. In this paper we present the relationships for caustic testing on general aspheres, as well as giving guidelines for the correct use of the test in actual testing setups.

© 1990 Optical Society of America