Testing Optical and Other Radiation Systems

A wide range of optical instrumentation exists; however, the task of testing such instruments may in general be reduced to one of evaluating emitted wavefront form and image quality, where imaging is intended. Considered here are the test equipment commonly used to perform these tasks and the principles upon which key test methods are based, namely, interference, diffraction, and the optical transfer function. We also review typical limitations associated with the use of such test equipment and the need for regular calibration.