Abstract: A microinterferometer applies low coherent measurement light, which travels along an optical axis in a converging manner, to a front surface of a flange. A part of the measurement light is reflected inside an interferometric optical system, and becomes reference light. Apart of the measurement light passed through the interferometric optical system is reflected from the front surface of the flange, and is incident again upon the interferometric optical system. By combining the reflected light with the reference light, interference light is obtained. While a sample rotating stage rotates a sample lens through 360 degrees, a first imaging camera having one-dimensional image sensor captures 3600 images of the interference light, i.e., the image of the interference light is captured every time the sample lens is rotated by 0.1 degrees. Based on the images of interference fringes, the shape of the front surface of the flange is analyzed.

Abstract: The relative position of a test surface is sequentially changed from a reference position where a surface central axis is aligned with a measurement optical axis such that the measurement optical axis is sequentially moved to a plurality of annular regions obtained by dividing the test surface in a diametric direction. The test surface is rotated on a rotation axis whenever the relative position is changed. Measurement light composed of a plane wave is radiated to the rotating test surface, and a one-dimensional image sensor captures interference fringes at each of a plurality of rotational positions. The shape information of each annular region is calculated on the basis of the captured interference fringes at each rotational position, and the shape information is connected to calculate the shape information of the entire measurement region.

Abstract: An aspheric surface measuring apparatus includes a sample holder mechanism and an interferential optical mechanism, and performs optical interferometric measurement while rotating a sample every time a measurement angle is varied. The sample holder mechanism has a first air spindle for rotating the sample about a test surface axis and a first airslide. The first airslide carries the sample orthogonally or parallel to the test surface axis. The interference optical mechanism has an interference optical system, a first imaging system, and a second imaging system, a second air spindle, and a second airslide. The second spindle revolves or turns the interference optical system and the first and second imaging systems integrally to change a measurement angle between the measurement optical axis and the test surface axis. The second airslide carries the second air spindle orthogonally to the moving direction of the first airslide.

Abstract: The relative position of a test surface is sequentially changed from a reference position where a surface central axis is aligned with a measurement optical axis such that the measurement optical axis is sequentially moved to a plurality of annular regions obtained by dividing the test surface in a diametric direction. The test surface is rotated on a rotation axis whenever the relative position is changed. Measurement light that travels while being converged by a Mirau objective interference optical system is radiated to the rotating test surface, and a one-dimensional image sensor captures interference fringes at each of a plurality of rotational positions. The shape information of each annular region is calculated on the basis of the captured interference fringes at each rotational position, and the shape information is connected to calculate the shape information of the entire measurement region.

Abstract: The light wave interferometer apparatus is provided and includes: a luminous flux, which is sent from the light source and divided into two portions by the luminous flux separation and composition unit, are combined with each other again under the condition that the divided luminous fluxes hold wavefront information corresponding to the surface shapes of the aspherical lens to be inspected and the reference aspherical lens by the respectively corresponding basis spherical lenses. Therefore, a wavefront difference of the aspherical lens to be inspected with respect to the reference aspherical lens is made to be interference fringe information and formed on an image pickup plane of the interferometer CCD camera. The basis spherical lenses have the basis spherical surfaces, the curvatures of which are equal to each other.

Abstract: Disclosed is an asphere measurement method capable of measuring the surface deviations and the surface tilts with high accuracy even when an asphere to be measured does not have the wedge-shaped flat portion. Provided is an asphere measurement method of measuring surface deviations and surface tilts of an asphere having a first detection target surface and a second detection target surface formed as aspheric surfaces which are rotationally symmetric. The method includes, in order of measurement: a first interference fringe acquisition step; a second interference fringe acquisition step; a first shape data acquisition step; a second shape data acquisition step; a first axis data acquisition step; a second axis data acquisition step; and a surface deviation/tilt analysis step.

Abstract: A measurement jig having a position indicator is set so as to rotate integrally with a sample, and a magnified image of the position indicator formed by a microscope is picked up by an imaging camera at plural time points during the rotation of the sample. A movement locus of the magnified images picked up is founded, and position variation amount of a rotation center line of the sample is calculated on the basis of the found movement locus.

Abstract: An optical element to be measured is irradiated with the light which has passed through an indicator, thereby to form an indicator image on an image pick-up surface. Maximum peak coordinates are specified and stored as a position of the indicator image relating to the first surface. Whether the second largest peak may be specified or not is determined. In case that this result is NO, the maximum peak indicator image is deleted, and maximum peak coordinates are specified again and stored as a position of the indicator image relating to the second surface.

Abstract: A process of measuring a shape while changing the relative posture of an microscopic interferometer to a sample lens which is rotated about a rotation axis is divided into a process of measuring a top surface in a state where the sample lens is supported from a back surface and a process of measuring a back surface in a state where the sample lens is supported from the top surface. By combining first shape information of a flange side surface acquired by the process of measuring the top surface and second shape information of the flange side surface acquired by the process of measuring the back surface, the relative positional relation between the sample top surface and the sample back surface is calculated.

Abstract: An optical element to be measured is irradiated with the light which has passed through an indicator, thereby to form an indicator image on an image pick-up surface. Maximum peak coordinates are specified and stored as a position of the indicator image relating to the first surface. Whether the second largest peak may be specified or not is determined. In case that this result is NO, the maximum peak indicator image is deleted, and maximum peak coordinates are specified again and stored as a position of the indicator image relating to the second surface.

Abstract: A test surface is rotatable around a rotation axis and an interferometer main unit is movable with respect to a test surface so that an observation area is moved on the test surface which is rotating. While the observation area is moved within the test surface, an interfering light beam is successively captured by a one-dimensional image sensor, straight belt form observation-position-specific interference fringes formed by the interfering light beam are successively imaged, and the shape information of the test surface is obtained based on the imaged observation-position-specific interference fringes.

Abstract: A wavefront measuring apparatus for optical pickup includes: a beam splitting section; a wavefront shaping section; a beam combining section that generate interference light; an interference fringe image-acquiring section that acquires an interference fringe image including wavefront information of the light beam; and an analyzing section that analyzes a wavefront of the light beam on the basis of the interference fringe image. The analyzing section includes: an image processing section that performs a filtering process on the interference fringe image to eliminate a frequency component corresponding to the sub beam, so as to acquire the filtering-processed interference fringe image, and a wavefront analyzing section that analyzes a wavefront of the main beam on the basis of the filtering-processed interference fringe image.

Abstract: The relative position of a test surface is sequentially changed from a reference position where a surface central axis is aligned with a measurement optical axis such that the measurement optical axis is sequentially moved to a plurality of annular regions obtained by dividing the test surface in a diametric direction. The test surface is rotated on a rotation axis whenever the relative position is changed. Measurement light that travels while being converged by a Mirau objective interference optical system is radiated to the rotating test surface, and a one-dimensional image sensor captures interference fringes at each of a plurality of rotational positions. The shape information of each annular region is calculated on the basis of the captured interference fringes at each rotational position, and the shape information is connected to calculate the shape information of the entire measurement region.

Abstract: The relative position of a test surface is sequentially changed from a reference position where a surface central axis is aligned with a measurement optical axis such that the measurement optical axis is sequentially moved to a plurality of annular regions obtained by dividing the test surface in a diametric direction. The test surface is rotated on a rotation axis whenever the relative position is changed. Measurement light composed of a plane wave is radiated to the rotating test surface, and a one-dimensional image sensor captures interference fringes at each of a plurality of rotational positions. The shape information of each annular region is calculated on the basis of the captured interference fringes at each rotational position, and the shape information is connected to calculate the shape information of the entire measurement region.

Abstract: Disclosed is an omnidirectional imaging apparatus capable of obtaining substantially the same amount of image data per unit azimuth angle in subject information within the same azimuth angle range, in the entire image region of an omnidirectional image, and forming a high-quality panoramic image over the entire image region. A line sensor of an imaging unit is rotated on an imaging surface to perform scanning, thereby sequentially acquiring image data of an omnidirectional image in all directions that is formed by an imaging optical system. A panoramic image forming unit forms a panoramic image on the basis of the image data of the omnidirectional image sequentially acquired in all directions.

Abstract: The light wave interferometer apparatus is provided and includes: a luminous flux, which is sent from the light source and divided into two portions by the luminous flux separation and composition unit, are combined with each other again under the condition that the divided luminous fluxes hold wavefront information corresponding to the surface shapes of the aspherical lens to be inspected and the reference aspherical lens by the respectively corresponding basis spherical lenses. Therefore, a wavefront difference of the aspherical lens to be inspected with respect to the reference aspherical lens is made to be interference fringe information and formed on an image pickup plane of the interferometer CCD camera. The basis spherical lenses have the basis spherical surfaces, the curvatures of which are equal to each other.

Abstract: The light beam measurement apparatus comprises a beam splitter that divides a light beam emitted from a light source unit into two luminous fluxes, a semi-transmitting/reflecting surface that reflects part of one of the divided luminous fluxes back in the opposite direction to the direction of incidence as a sample luminous flux, and reflection-type reference light producing means that converts part of the luminous flux transmitted through the semi-transmitting/reflecting surface into a wavefront-shaped reference luminous flux and outputs this reference luminous flux; this light beam measurement apparatus can carry out both wavefront measurement and light beam spot characteristic measurement on a light beam simultaneously.

Abstract: A wavefront measuring apparatus for optical pickup includes: a beam splitting section; a wavefront shaping section; a beam combining section that generate interference light; an interference fringe image-acquiring section that acquires an interference fringe image including wavefront information of the light beam; and an analyzing section that analyzes a wavefront of the light beam on the basis of the interference fringe image. The analyzing section includes: an image processing section that performs a filtering process on the interference fringe image to eliminate a frequency component corresponding to the sub beam, so as to acquire the filtering-processed interference fringe image, and a wavefront analyzing section that analyzes a wavefront of the main beam on the basis of the filtering-processed interference fringe image.

Abstract: A sample inclination measuring method rotates, by a predetermined angle with respect to an interferometer apparatus, a columnar member having a leading end face in a planar form while the columnar member is held by a clamping apparatus, detects a relative angle between a reference surface of the interferometer apparatus and the leading end face at each of two rotational positions, and measures the inclination of the axis of the columnar member by using a predetermined arithmetic expression according to thus detected two angles.

Abstract: In a low coherent interference fringe analysis method, a light intensity distribution of interference fringes formed by object light and reference light in a sample is represented by a light intensity distribution function using an envelope function. Subsequently, phase shifting is carried out, so as to measure the light intensity at each shift stage. According to thus measured light intensities at respective shift stages, unknowns of the light intensity distribution function are computed. Then, according to the computed unknowns, a peak position of a curve of the envelope function is determined. According to thus determined peak position, phase information of the sample is determined.