Optical Radiation Metrology and Uncertainty

Abstract

Metrology is the science of measurement. The chapter contains introductory material, terminology and units used in the optical radiation metrology. Optical radiation metrology provides an applied understanding of essential optical measurement concepts, techniques and procedures. In this chapter, we focus on electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths from approximately 100 to 2500 nm. We describe the principles used to measure photometry and radiometry quantities such as total flux, intensity, illuminance, luminance, radiance, exitance and irradiance. Measurement results should be expressed in terms of estimated value and an associated uncertainty, we provide an explanation to how to estimate and build the uncertainty budget of measurements. Metrology is based on measurements and comparisons. The unit is a unique name we assign to the measures of that quantity. Base standards must be both accessible and invariable. The metrological traceability chain is the sequence of measurement standards and calibrations that were used to relate the measurement result to the reference. The uncertainty budgets for photometric and radiometric quantities are represented in this chapter.