title: A source of a reference spherical wave based on a single mode optical fiber with a narrowed exit aperture.
abstract: A new type of a reference spherical wave source (SWS) based on a single mode optical fiber with a narrowed down up to the submicrometer size exit aperture is proposed. It is intended for the precision point diffraction interferometers as a source of a reference wave. Systematic experimental errors which influence the measurement accuracy of the quality of the wave fronts generated by the SWSs are considered. Experimental data on wave front deformations are given. The combined root-mean-square (rms) wave deformation for a couple of the SWSs measured in a numerical aperture of NA=0.27 reaches the value of rms=0.36 nm that corresponds to rms=0.25 nm of a single SWS or about lambda2500 for the red He-Ne laser.
authors: Institute for Physics of Microstructures, RAS, GSP-105, Nizhniy Novgorod 603950, Russia. chkhalo@ipm.sci-nnov.ru
authors: N I
authors: NI
authors: Chkhalo
authors: A Yu
authors: AY
authors: Klimov
authors: V V
authors: VV
authors: Rogov
authors: N N
authors: NN
authors: Salashchenko
authors: M N
authors: MN
authors: Toropov