The present invention includes a preparatory step of providing a calibration work piece having a flat reflecting surface as a work piece, and arranging the reflecting surface to be parallel to a standard optical axis and orthogonal or parallel to pixel array directions of an image capture element; a rotation step of rotating a prism centered on the standard optical axis; a brightness detection step of detecting the brightness of an image captured by the image capture element at each of a plurality of rotation positions of the prism; and a positioning step of aligning the prism at a rotation position where the brightness detected by the brightness detection step is greatest.

A light measurement device that maintains high measurement precision. The light measurement device includes: light source that irradiates light upon measurement object; branch part that splits transmitted light or reflected light from measurement object; phase-changing unit that changes the phase of one beam of the branched light beams; phase-fixing unit that maintains the phase of the other beam of the branched light beams; adjustment mechanism, which is provided in phase-changing unit or phase-fixing unit, for adjusting the propagation direction of light; multiplexer that causes the light emitted by each of phase-changing unit and phase-fixing unit to interfere with each other; detection unit that detects light that is interfered with by multiplexer; and control unit that controls the adjustment mechanism on the basis of the luminance values of an interference image that is detected by detection unit and adjusts the propagation direction of light in phase-changing unit or phase-fixing unit.

Microscope (2) comprising a coherent light source (4) producing a coherent light beam (7), a light beam guide system (6) comprising a beam splitter (14) configured to split the coherent light beam (7) into a reference beam (7a) and a sample illumination beam (7b), a sample holder (18) configured to hold a sample (1) to be observed, a sample illumination device (28) configured to direct the sample illumination beam (7b) through the sample and into a microscope objective (37), a beam reuniter (16) configured to reunite the reference beam and sample illumination beam after passage of the sample illumination beam through the sample to be observed, and a light sensing system (8) configured to capture at least phase and intensity values of the coherent light beam downstream of the beam reuniter.

In order to align the various components of an instrument, the beam produced by a spectrally-controlled light source is aligned with the optical axis of the instrument and the first component is placed at its predetermined position along the optical axis. Then, configuring the spectral modulation of the source such that one surface of the component is used as the reference surface, the spectrum of the source is modulated so as to produce a correlogram formed by reflections from the reference surface and from the other surface of the optical component. The correct alignment of the component is determined by adjusting its position so as to cause the correlogram to conform to the bullseye configuration that meets predetermined design parameters. The procedure is repeated with each other component of the instrument, the alignment of each component being based on interference fringes created independently of other components.

A light measurement device that maintains high measurement precision. The light measurement device includes: light source that irradiates light upon measurement object; branch part that splits transmitted light or reflected light from measurement object; phase-changing unit that changes the phase of one beam of the branched light beams; phase-fixing unit that maintains the phase of the other beam of the branched light beams; adjustment mechanism, which is provided in phase-changing unit or phase-fixing unit, for adjusting the propagation direction of light; multiplexer that causes the light emitted by each of phase-changing unit and phase-fixing unit to interfere with each other; detection unit that detects light that is interfered with by multiplexer; and control unit that controls the adjustment mechanism on the basis of the luminance values of an interference image that is detected by detection unit and adjusts the propagation direction of light in phase-changing unit or phase-fixing unit.

The present invention includes a preparatory step of providing a calibration work piece having a flat reflecting surface as a work piece, and arranging the reflecting surface to be parallel to a standard optical axis and orthogonal or parallel to pixel array directions of an image capture element; a rotation step of rotating a prism centered on the standard optical axis; a brightness detection step of detecting the brightness of an image captured by the image capture element at each of a plurality of rotation positions of the prism; and a positioning step of aligning the prism at a rotation position where the brightness detected by the brightness detection step is greatest.

An analytic tool for supporting alignment of an optical component in preparation for an interferometric test and performance of such a test. Apparatus and methods involve employment of the datum features on the optical component and/or metrology frame supporting such component. The metrology frame may include a secondary set of holograms (provided for use with a conventional system already employing a primary hologram that forms the testing optical wavefront). The conventional primary hologram is preferably substituted with a set of primary holograms (contained in the same, unitary or spatially-complementary housing sets) that perform different but complementary functions and that facilitate the alignment of the metrology frame with or without the tested optical component.

An ophthalmologic apparatus comprises a light source 12, an optical measurement system 13 that radiates first light from the light source to inside an eye to be examined and guides first reflected light from the eye, an optical reference system (24, 22) that radiates second light from the light source to a reference surface and guides second reflected light from the reference surface, a photo detector 26 that detects interfering light between the first reflected light from the optical measurement system and the second reflected light from the optical reference system, and a processor that determines a position of a measuring portion of the inside of the eye based on the detected interfering light. The optical measurement system comprises an incident angle changing member 46 that changes an incident angle of the first light radiated to the eye within a predetermined angular range relative to an axis of vision of the eye.

An analytic tool for supporting alignment of an optical component in preparation for an interferometric test and performance of such a test. Apparatus and methods involve employment of the datum features on the optical component and/or metrology frame supporting such component. The metrology frame may include a secondary set of holograms (provided for use with a conventional system already employing a primary hologram that forms the testing optical wavefront). The conventional primary hologram is preferably substituted with a set of primary holograms (contained in the same, unitary or spatially-complementary housing sets) that perform different but complementary functions and that facilitate the alignment of the metrology frame with or without the tested optical component.

An ophthalmologic apparatus comprises a light source 12, an optical measurement system 13 that radiates first light from the light source to inside an eye to be examined and guides first reflected light from the eye, an optical reference system (24, 22) that radiates second light from the light source to a reference surface and guides second reflected light from the reference surface, a photo detector 26 that detects interfering light between the first reflected light from the optical measurement system and the second reflected light from the optical reference system, and a processor that determines a position of a measuring portion of the inside of the eye based on the detected interfering light. The optical measurement system comprises an incident angle changing member 46 that changes an incident angle of the first light radiated to the eye within a predetermined angular range relative to an axis of vision of the eye.