Optical Metrology | previous | next | feedback |
Definition: the science and technology of performing measurements with light
Optical metrology is the science and technology concerning measurements with light. Such measurements can either target properties of light itself or other properties such as some distance.
Some examples for optical metrology are:
- Optical distance measurements with lasers can be based e.g. on interferometers or on measurements of the time of flight of light pulses.
- Optical frequency metrology deals with high precision measurements of optical frequencies (→ optical clocks).
- There are devices for optical wavelength and linewidth measurements, based e.g. on self-heterodyne interferometers.
- Optical powers can be measured with photodiodes, thermal powermeters, or other equipment.
- Optical temperature measurements may be based on the analysis of the thermal emission of hot bodies, or rely on the measurement of occupation probabilities for energy levels of atoms or molecules.
- Optical irradiation and illumination measurements can address either some pure physical quantity such as an optical intensity (power per unit area) (→ radiometry) or something like a perceived brightness (→ photometry).
In many cases, optical metrology can be extremely precise and is finally limited by laser noise.
See also: frequency metrology, interferometers, distance measurements with lasers, laser noise
