Standardization of light scattering measurements

Abstract

Abstract In every advanced optical system, light scattering caused by the imperfections of optical components sooner or later becomes an issue that needs to be addressed. Light scattering can be a critical factor for both the throughput and the imaging quality of optical systems. On a component level, the quantities to describe these effects are the scatter loss or total scattering (TS) and the scattering distribution function or angle-resolved light scattering (ARS). In the last decades, a number of instruments have been developed worldwide for the measurement of TS and ARS. However, numerous pitfalls have to be avoided to obtain objective, reliable, and reproducible measurement results. This is, in particular, true for low scatter levels of high-end optical components. Standard procedures that have to be both concise and easy to implement are thus of crucial importance for the optics community. This paper tries to give an overview on existing standards as well as an outlook on new standards that are still being developed. Special emphasis is put on ISO standards jointly developed, reviewed, and revised by the international experts in the field.