Transmitted wavefront metrology of optics with high aberrations

1. An interferometry system for testing optical components including those with high aberrations, comprising:

a source of a spherical test wavefront, whereby an axial line is defined by a direction of propagation of said wavefront;

a spherical reference mirror;

a computerized control system and mechanical apparatus responsive thereto for controlling an axial displacement between an optical component under test and said spherical reference mirror, with said optical component under test situated between said source and said spherical reference mirror; and

a computerized device including a processor for deriving a substantially complete first-tilt-alignment wavefront metrology of said optical component under test from a plurality of first-tilt-alignment interferograms, wherein, responsive to said computerized control system:

said plurality of first-tilt-alignment interferograms is obtained with said optical component under test oriented at a first predetermined tilt angle relative to said propagation of said wavefront; and

each of said first-tilt-alignment interferograms is obtained, with said first predetermined tilt angle held fixed, by said mechanical apparatus discretely varying said axial displacement between said optical component under test and said spherical reference mirror.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein said first predetermined tilt angle is approximately equal to zero relative to said axial line.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

said computerized control system and mechanical apparatus responsive thereto for further controlling the angle of tilt of said optical component under test relative to the axial propagation of said wavefront, said optical component under test comprising two surfaces thereof; and

said computerized device for deriving a substantially complete second-tilt-alignment wavefront metrology of said optical component under test from a plurality of second-tilt-alignment interferograms, and further, for deriving a substantially complete surface metrology of said optical component under test using said first-tilt-alignment wavefront metrology in combination with said second-tilt-alignment wavefront metrology; wherein, responsive to said computerized control system:

said plurality of second-tilt-alignment interferograms is obtained with said optical component under test tilted at a second predetermined tilt angle relative to said propagation of said wavefront; and

each of said second-tilt-alignment interferograms is obtained, with said second predetermined tilt angle held fixed, by said mechanical apparatus discretely varying said axial displacement between said optical component under test and said spherical reference mirror.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein said first predetermined tilt angle is approximately equal to zero relative to said axial line.

5. The system of claim 3 , said computerized device for deriving said substantially complete surface metrology further comprising processing capability for:

calculating a difference between said first-tilt-alignment wavefront metrology and said second-tilt-alignment wavefront metrology;

deducing therefrom a surface gradient of said optical component under test; and

integrating said surface gradient.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

said computerized device for deriving said first-tilt-alignment wavefront metrology complementing under-sampled portions of one first-tilt-alignment interferogram with high-resolution corresponding portions of another first-tilt-alignment interferogram for a given corresponding portion of said optical component under test.

7. The system of claim 3 , further comprising:

said computerized device for deriving said first-tilt-alignment wavefront metrology complementing under-sampled portions of one first-tilt-alignment interferogram with high-resolution corresponding portions of another first-tilt-alignment interferogram for a given corresponding portion of said optical component under test; and

said computerized device for deriving said second-tilt-alignment wavefront metrology complementing under-sampled portions of one second-tilt-alignment interferogram with high-resolution corresponding portions of another second-tilt-alignment interferogram for a given corresponding portion of said optical component under test.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

said computerized device for deriving said first-tilt-alignment wavefront metrology by subtracting any deviations of said spherical reference mirror from a perfect sphere, as determined by self-testing said spherical reference mirror without situating optical component under test between said source and said spherical reference mirror.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

said computerized device for deriving said first- and second-tilt-alignment wavefront metrologies by subtracting any deviations of said spherical reference mirror from a perfect sphere, as determined by self-testing said spherical reference mirror without situating optical component under test between said source and said spherical reference mirror.

10. An interferometry method for testing optical components including those with high aberrations, comprising:

situating an optical component under test between a source of a spherical test wavefront and a spherical reference mirror;

propagating a spherical test wavefront, whereby an axial line is defined by a direction of propagation of said wavefront;

deriving a substantially complete first-tilt-alignment wavefront metrology of said optical component under test from a plurality of first-tilt-alignment interferograms obtained with said optical component under test held fixed at a first predetermined tilt angle relative to a direction of propagation of said wavefront; and

varying an axial displacement between said optical component under test and said spherical reference mirror to obtain each said first-tilt-alignment interferogram.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising setting said first predetermined tilt angle to be approximately equal to zero relative to said axial line.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

deriving a substantially complete second-tilt-alignment wavefront metrology of said optical component under test from a plurality of second-tilt-alignment interferograms obtained with said optical component under test held fixed at a second predetermined tilt angle relative to a direction of propagation of said wavefront;

varying said axial displacement between said optical component under test and said spherical reference mirror to obtain each said second-tilt-alignment interferogram; and

deriving a substantially complete surface metrology of said optical component under test using said first-tilt-alignment wavefront metrology in combination with said second-tilt-alignment wavefront metrology.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising setting said first predetermined tilt angle to be approximately equal to zero relative to said axial line.

14. The method of claim 12 , said deriving said substantially complete surface metrology further comprising:

calculating a difference between said first-tilt-alignment wavefront metrology and said second-tilt-alignment wavefront metrology;

deducing therefrom a surface gradient of said optical component under test; and

integrating said surface gradient.

15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising deriving said first-tilt-alignment wavefront metrology by:

complementing under-sampled portions of one first-tilt-alignment interferogram with high-resolution corresponding portions of another first-tilt-alignment interferogram for a given corresponding portion of said optical component under test.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

deriving said first-tilt-alignment wavefront metrology by complementing under-sampled portions of one first-tilt-alignment interferogram with high-resolution corresponding portions of another first-tilt-alignment interferogram for a given corresponding portion of said optical component under test; and

deriving said second-tilt-alignment wavefront metrology by complementing under-sampled portions of one second-tilt-alignment interferogram with high-resolution corresponding portions of another second-tilt-alignment interferogram for a given corresponding portion of said optical component under test.

17. The method of claim 10 , further comprising deriving said first-tilt-alignment wavefront metrology by:

determining any deviations from a perfect sphere in a shape of said spherical reference mirror by self-testing said spherical reference mirror without situating optical component under test between said source and said spherical reference mirror; and

subtracting any said deviations.

18. The method of claim 10 , further comprising deriving said first- and second-tilt-alignment wavefront metrologies by:

determining any deviations from a perfect sphere in a shape of said spherical reference mirror by self-testing said spherical reference mirror without situating optical component under test between said source and said spherical reference mirror; and

subtracting any said deviations.

19. Computerized media for operating a computerized device, for use in connection with a interferometry method for testing optical components including those with high aberrations, comprising computer instructions for:

deriving a substantially complete first-tilt-alignment wavefront metrology of an optical component under test from a plurality of first-tilt-alignment interferograms obtained with said optical component under test held fixed at a first predetermined tilt angle relative to a direction of propagation of a spherical test wavefront; and

via a mechanical apparatus responsive to said computer instructions, varying an axial displacement between said optical component under test and a spherical reference mirror to obtain each said first-tilt-alignment interferogram, wherein:

said optical component under test is situated between a source of said spherical test wavefront and said spherical reference mirror; and

said spherical test wavefront is propagated, whereby an axial line of said axial displacement is defined by a direction of propagation of said wavefront.

20. The computerized media of claim 19 , further comprising computer instructions, via said mechanical apparatus, for setting said first predetermined tilt angle to be approximately equal to zero relative to said axial line.

21. The computerized media of claim 19 , further comprising computer instructions for:

deriving a substantially complete second-tilt-alignment wavefront metrology of said optical component under test from a plurality of second-tilt-alignment interferograms obtained with said optical component under test held fixed at a second predetermined tilt angle relative to a direction of propagation of said wavefront;

via said mechanical apparatus, varying said axial displacement between said optical component under test and said spherical reference mirror to obtain each said second-tilt-alignment interferogram; and

deriving a substantially complete surface metrology of said optical component under test using said first-tilt-alignment wavefront metrology in combination with said second-tilt-alignment wavefront metrology.

22. The computerized media of claim 21 , further comprising computer instructions, via said mechanical apparatus, for setting said first predetermined tilt angle to be approximately equal to zero relative to said axial line.

23. The computerized media of claim 21 , said computer instructions for said deriving said substantially complete surface metrology further comprising computer instructions for:

calculating a difference between said first-tilt-alignment wavefront metrology and said second-tilt-alignment wavefront metrology;

deducing therefrom a surface gradient of said optical component under test; and

integrating said surface gradient.

24. The computerized media of claim 19 , said computer instructions for deriving said first-tilt-alignment wavefront metrology further comprising computer instructions for:

complementing under-sampled portions of one first-tilt-alignment interferogram with high-resolution corresponding portions of another first-tilt-alignment interferogram for a given corresponding portion of said optical component under test.

25. The computerized media of claim 21 :

said computer instructions for deriving said first-tilt-alignment wavefront metrology further comprising computer instructions for complementing under-sampled portions of one first-tilt-alignment interferogram with high-resolution corresponding portions of another first-tilt-alignment interferogram for a given corresponding portion of said optical component under test; and

said computer instructions for deriving said second-tilt-alignment wavefront metrology further comprising computer instructions for complementing under-sampled portions of one second-tilt-alignment interferogram with high-resolution corresponding portions of another second-tilt-alignment interferogram for a given corresponding portion of said optical component under test.

26. The computerized media of claim 19 , said computer instructions for deriving said first-tilt-alignment wavefront metrology further comprising computer instructions for:

determining any deviations from a perfect sphere in a shape of said spherical reference mirror by self-testing said spherical reference mirror without situating optical component under test between said source and said spherical reference mirror; and

subtracting any said deviations.

27. The computerized media of claim 19 , said computer instructions for deriving said first- and second-tilt-alignment wavefront metrologies further comprising computer instructions for:

determining any deviations from a perfect sphere in a shape of said spherical reference mirror by self-testing said spherical reference mirror without situating optical component under test between said source and said spherical reference mirror; and

subtracting any said deviations.