Optical Manufacture and Test

doi:10.1117/3.2553485.ch14

Book: Photonics Rules of Thumb, Third Edition

Author(s): John Lester Miller, Katie Schwertz, Edward J. Friedman, John N. Sanders-Reed, Brian K. McComas

Published: 2020

https://doi.org/10.1117/3.2553485.ch14

Author Affiliations +

Abstract

This chapter covers a wide variety of best practices and useful estimations that can be employed when handling, fabricating, or testing an optical component. A common refrain in optics manufacturing is that “you can’t make what you can’t measure.” Undoubtedly, if you have spent any length of time near an optics fabricator, you have heard some version of this adage. Its popularity lies in its truth: while metal manufacturers speak in terms of microns of precision, optics manufacturers can be heard speaking about surface precision in terms of nanometers and angstroms. Considering that most atoms have a diameter of 1– 5 angstroms, a caliper cannot serve as the primary tool of dimensional measurement for optical surfaces. The fabrication and verification of optical specifications requires specialized equipment and trained personnel. Meeting these highly precise specifications is never taken for granted.