Overview
ISO/TR 16743:2013 - Optics and photonics: Wavefront sensors for characterising optical systems and optical components is an informative Technical Report that defines terms and summarizes practical techniques for measuring and characterizing optical wavefronts. The document describes basic configurations for a wide range of wavefront sensing systems, explains how the methods work, and discusses when each test is useful for different optical-system and component applications.
Key topics and technical highlights
- Terms and definitions relevant to wavefront sensing and measurement practice.
- Non‑interferometric (screen) tests:
- Knife‑edge (Foucault) test and its variations (single knife‑edge, double edges, thin‑wire).
- Hartmann and Shack‑Hartmann methods (beam subdivision via pinholes or lenslet arrays) for slope sampling and spot‑position analysis.
- Practical notes on measurements with Shack‑Hartmann sensors.
- Wavefront curvature and phase‑diversity techniques:
- Retrieval of phase from intensity images taken along the beam path (e.g., either side of focus or pupil).
- Use of the intensity transport equation and iterative/Fourier algorithms for phase retrieval.
- Interferometric methods:
- Overview of common interferometry approaches and self‑referencing methods (shearing interferometry, point‑diffraction interferometers, Ronchi and lateral shearing tests).
- Electronic detection and phase measurement considerations.
- Specialized sensors:
- Pyramid sensor (focal‑plane gradient sensor used in astronomy and ophthalmic adaptive optics).
- Practical measurement considerations:
- Coherence requirements, slope vs. phase measurement, sampling strategies and integration/processing of slope data.
- Use cases such as knife‑edge scanning for diode lasers (e.g., beam diameter and astigmatism), with sensitivity and precision notes included in the report.
Practical applications - who uses this standard
ISO/TR 16743:2013 is targeted at professionals involved in optical metrology and design, including:
- Optical engineers and lens designers validating wavefront quality and aberrations.
- Metrology laboratories performing component and system acceptance testing.
- Telescope and adaptive‑optics teams (astronomy and ophthalmology) using Shack‑Hartmann and pyramid sensors.
- Laser and diode‑laser manufacturers characterizing near‑field/far‑field beam quality.
- Quality control and R&D groups working to meet ISO 10110 slope and other optical specification requirements.
Related standards and cross‑references
- ISO/TR 14999‑1, ‑2, ‑3 (additional interferometry guidance)
- ISO 10110 series (optical drawing and slope requirements)
- ISO 15367‑2 (laser beam wavefront measurement using Hartmann methods)
ISO/TR 16743:2013 serves as a practical, application‑oriented reference for selecting and implementing wavefront sensing techniques in optical system and component characterization.