A spherometer is often used to precisely measure the radius of curvature of a spherical surface. It can also measure the vertex radius of a more complex surface such as an off-axis parabola (OAP). This paper provides a reliable algorithm to find the vertex radius of an OAP by solving a few equations based on the test geometry. This algorithm can also be easily expanded to any conic surface with high-order aspheric coefficients. The algorithm was verified by measuring an 8-inch diameter OAP and comparing the results with its known prescription. Results show good agreement. An example of measuring the vertex radius of a 4-m diameter OAP is also presented. In addition to this, a calculation was done to show that the coma and astigmatism are independent of the clocking of the spherometer on the optic. (C) 2016 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE)

This paper contains a basic overview and description of optical lenses. It introduces different types of optical lenses and shows how they influence the passing of light beams. It deals with the production of optical lenses and their practical use. It describes types of optical blemishes that exist in real optical systems. Particular attention is given to parameters of optical lenses and their measurement in practice. It includes a Matlab program to calculate parameters of optical lenses derived from the measurements.