One of the classical subjects of research that have characterized INO since its foundation (1930) is quality testing of optical components and systems. In this area INO has produced outstanding results in the past (particularly the so-called “Ronchi test”) and is still active with advanced research. In the course of the years the laboratory has constituted a patrimony of resources that regard in particular the absolute measurement of the geometrical form, developing competences and maintaining operative capabilities to the state of the art. With the aim of giving value to the resources owned and making them available to industries and institutions, in the spirit of its mission and on the line of its research tradition, INO has recently constituted a metrology room accessible to external users.
Performed activities:
– Absolute measure of flat and spherical surfaces
– Optical Testing
– Testing of lenses of historical interest
– Measurement of curvature radii
– Measurement of the refractive index of optical glasses
– Measurement of the focal length of test lenses
– Measurement of ophthalmic power of test lenses for calibration of focimeters
– Measurement of the refractive error of test eyes for the calibration of autorefractometers
– Measurement of microtopography of optical surfaces
– Measurement of the deviation angle of prisms
– Characterization of Fabry-Perot interferometers for astronomical use