IGF::OT::IGF WE PROPOSE AN INNOVATIVE, LOW COHERENCE PROBE FOR RAPID MEASUREMENT OF FREE-FORM OPTICAL SURFA…

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IGF::OT::IGF WE PROPOSE AN INNOVATIVE, LOW COHERENCE PROBE FOR RAPID MEASUREMENT OF FREE-FORM OPTICAL SURFACES BASED ON A NOVEL METHOD OF SPECTRALLY CONTROLLED INTERFEROMETRY. THE KEY INNOVATIONS ARE THE USE OF A NEW INTERFEROMETRIC MODALITY AND A NOVEL NON-CONTACT OPTICAL PROBE THAT TOGETHER MEASURE HIGH SURFACE SLOPE ACCEPTANCE ANGLES TO NANOMETER SENSITIVITY. WHEN THE PROBE IS INTEGRATED WITH A PRECISION MOTION, X, Y,&Z METROLOGY FRAME, IT WILL MEET NASA'S NEED TO MEASURE FREE-FORM OPTICAL SURFACES FROM 0.5 CM TO 6 CM DIAMETER RANGING FROM F/2 TO F/20, INCLUDING SLOPES UP TO 20 DEGREES (WITH POTENTIAL FOR 60 DEGREES), WITH AN UNCERTAINTY TARGETED AT 2 NM RMS. THE PROBE OPERATION DOES NOT REQUIRE TILTING TO MEASURE SLOPES. THIS RESULTS IN THIS SIMPLIFIED CARTESIAN METROLOGY FRAME, ALSO CRITICAL TO ACHIEVE 2 NANOMETER MEASUREMENT UNCERTAINTY. THESE FEATURES: NANOMETER RESOLUTION AND 20 DEGREE SLOPE ACCEPTANCE ANGLE, HAVE UP TO THIS TIME NOT BEEN FOUND IN A SINGLE PROBE OR SENSOR, NON-CONTACT OR CONTACT. THIS PHASE II PROPOSAL TAKES THE PROBE AND ITS INNOVATIVE SPECTRALLY CONTROLLED LIGHT SOURCE INTO A PRODUCTION PROTOTYPE LEVEL CAPABLE OF MEETING NASA METROLOGY GOALS.