Realization of sub-micron radius of curvature measurement in vertical interferometer workstation

Radius of curvature (ROC) is one of the key parameters for optical elements and it is especially important for high quality optical system, in which the computer-aided integration is wildly used. ROC is one of the main input parameters and its measurement accuracy is a premise for high quality integration. In this paper, sub-micron ROC measurements are realized in a vertical interference workstation based on Fizeau interferometer. The error sources and uncertainty of the system are analyzed. Experiment results based on samples with difference ROC are presented and in accordance with the analysis. At last, a ROC comparing tests between the system and a three-coordinates measuring machine (CMM) are performed on a SiC ball to certify the workstation’s measurement uncertainty.