Using spherical aberration as a tool in aligning off-axis aspheric mirrors, as described in “Introduction to Optical Alignment Techniques”, a short course long offered through SPIE

Kenneth R. Castle

doi:10.1117/12.2569922

20 August 2020 Using spherical aberration as a tool in aligning off-axis aspheric mirrors, as described in “Introduction to Optical Alignment Techniques”, a short course long offered through SPIE

Kenneth R. Castle

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 11488, Optical System Alignment, Tolerancing, and Verification XIII; 114880G (2020) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2569922
Event: SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications, 2020, Online Only

Abstract

Spherical aberration has long been considered the bane of optical design. It is especially bothersome in optically fast as well as wide field designs. Aligning axial and off-axis aspheric mirrors have also been considered difficult due to the general issues of properly positioning these elements during the alignment process. As part of this difficulty, establishing the optical axis of the parent aspheres has been a problem, and spherical aberration can offer the solution as an alignment tool. The information in this paper has been taught for over 20 years in the SPIE Short Course “Introduction to Optical Alignment Techniques.” To those students who have taken this course, the material is not new, but to the general optics community, it may offer a new perspective.

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Kenneth R. Castle "Using spherical aberration as a tool in aligning off-axis aspheric mirrors, as described in “Introduction to Optical Alignment Techniques”, a short course long offered through SPIE", Proc. SPIE 11488, Optical System Alignment, Tolerancing, and Verification XIII, 114880G (20 August 2020); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2569922

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