Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Portable alignment device for an off-axis parabolic mirror optical axis adjustment

  • Published:
International Journal of Precision Engineering and Manufacturing Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this paper we demonstrate a new technique in which we use the portable alignment device of an off-axis parabolic mirror optical axis adjustment and the CCD camera to rapidly and accurately align the optical axis of an off-axis parabolic (OAP) mirror. In this method the optical axis of an OAP mirror is made parallel to the “five incident parallel laser beams” in the plane of incidence, by checking direction of these five reflected laser beams and changing the height and orientation of the OAP mirror. The CCD camera uses to measure the best focus and minimum spot diameter of the OAP mirror. This fast aligning method for finding the optical axis of an OAP mirror can measure the deviation of Slant Focal Length (SLF) to an accuracy of 0.3 %.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Lee, Y. H., “Alignment of an off-axis parabolic mirrors with two parallel He-Ne Laser beams,” Opt. Eng., Vol. 31, No. 11, pp. 2287–2292, 1992.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Barkhouser, R. H. and Ohl, R. G., “Interferometric alignment and figure testing of large (0.5m) off-axis parabolic mirrors in a challenging cleanroom environment,” Proc. SPIE, Vol. 3782, pp. 601–614, 1999.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Welford, W. T., “Aberrations of optical systems,” Adam Hilger, p. 38, 1986.

  4. Chen, R. S., “The bend and polish method of aspheric surface manufacture: An Investigation into optical design for this process and into the process itself,” Ph.D. Thesis, Photonics, University of London, 2001.

  5. Orlenko, E. A., Cherezova, T. Y., Sheldakova, Y. V., Rukosuev, A. L. and Kudryashov, A. V., “Off-axis parabolic mirrors: A method of adjusting them and of measuring and correcting their aberrations,” Journal of Optical Technology, Vol. 72, No. 4, pp. 306–312, 2005.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Chrzanowski, K., “Evaluation of infrared collimators for testing thermal imaging systems,” Opto-Electronics Review, Vol. 15, No. 2, pp. 82–87, 2007.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electrical Engineering, Feng Chia University, 100, Wenhwa Road, Seatwen, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC, 40724

    Der-Chin Chen

Authors
  1. Der-Chin Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Der-Chin Chen.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Chen, DC. Portable alignment device for an off-axis parabolic mirror optical axis adjustment. Int. J. Precis. Eng. Manuf. 13, 33–37 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12541-012-0005-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12541-012-0005-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation