Characterizing High Numerical Aperture Microscope Objective Lenses

Testing and characterization of high quality lenses have been perfected into fine art with the advent of lasers, phase-shifting interferometers, CCD cameras and computers. A bewildering array of techniques is described in Malacara’s classical reference book on the subject [1]. Several of these techniques, in particular the Twyman— Green interferometer and the star test, are applicable to testing of microscope objective lens.