A novel long trace profiler for synchrotron radiation optics

Increasing demands for accuracy in manufacturing and utilizing optics in synchrotron radiation facility require more precise surface measuring techniques. A novel profilometer design for testing aspherical optical elements, especially the optics used in synchrotron radiation, is presented, in which a phase plate is introduced so as to generate a pattern on the detector that can be easily and accurately centered. Compared with conventional long trace profilers, the optical system of this novel design is simple, therefore its potential error sources are greatly reduced. The feasibility of the method is validated in theory and experiments with a newly developed prototype. Experimental results show that this prototype works well even under an opening operation environment without temperature control and air conditioning.