Uncertainty estimation in optics and optoelectronic systems

In this work, we present the general method to estimate the measurement uncertainty related to opto-electronic and photonic systems. It consists in a modern method, which follows the recommendations of the Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement. After determining the uncertainty propagation equation, we review the elementary uncertainty terms separated into two distinct categories. First of all, statistical terms are studied. Then, the other elementary uncertainty terms such as those linked to the connection to international standards or manufacturer data, as well as the elementary terms linked to variations in environmental parameters such as temperature, acceleration, or hygrometry, or those linked to quantities studied such as the wavelength of lasers or that linked to the misalignment of the beam in space. We illustrate this method with two examples, an optoelectronic oscillator and that of a Brillouin Light Scattering measurement system.