Speaker
Description
Experimental apparatuses in atomic, molecular, and optical (AMO) physics require precise control of the free-space alignment of optical components. Such control is often achieved by actuating micrometer screws on various optical mounts. Fluctuations in environmental factors, such as temperature and humidity, necessitate re-optimization of the alignment.
Motorized kinematic mounts enable control over the alignment of the optical setup by actuating the micrometer screws with electromechanical devices. While these devices are commercially available, they can be cost-prohibitive, bulky, and difficult to retrofit into an existing experiment. Previous instances of home-built motorized screw actuators were designed with open-loop control, reducing their reliability for long-term deployment.
In this work, we demonstrate that a 3-D printed modular attachment can be integrated with a Thorlabs KM100 mirror mount to enable angular control. We use a rotary encoder attached to the mirror mount actuator screw and mechanically decoupled from any moving elements to demonstrate absolute tip and tilt positioning of the mirror with high resolution and repeatability. The attachment we develop is compact and can be added to an existing optical setup without significantly degrading its alignment. The electronics system necessary for controlling the motorized attachment is based on off-the-shelf components designed for 3-D printer hardware control.
| Keyword-1 | closed-loop |
|---|---|
| Keyword-2 | robotics |
| Keyword-3 | open-source |