Patent ID: 6999182

Claim:
A method for characterizing an aspheric surface with respect to an expected shape thereof, comprising the steps of: i) providing a deformable mirror apparatus having a reflective surface being controllably deformable; ii) shaping the reflective surface as a function of the expected shape of the aspheric surface so as to reflect light along a known path; iii) providing optical elements adapted to project light on the aspheric surface such that light would be reflected along an expected path if the aspheric surface had said expected shape; iv) projecting light with the optical elements on the aspheric surface such that light is reflected along an actual path; v) projecting light from the actual path on the reflective surface of the deformable mirror apparatus such that light is reflected along said known path back towards the aspheric surface; vi) receiving light reflected in said known path with the optical elements to obtain an interference pattern as a function of the expected path; and vii) interpreting the interference pattern to characterize the aspheric surface with respect to the expected shape.