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PRODUCT GUIDE: OPTICAL MOUNTS
Optical mounts are the worker bees of the photonics industry.
They come in swarms, they possess none of the glamour of other
members of the family such as holographic optics and VCSELs,
but they are the very foundation of an optical train or experiment.
All of the manufacturers listed below have extensive lines
of optical mounts, so that this guide does not purport to
do anything more than suggest the range of offerings.
The mounts are intended for the most part for holding and
pointing lenses, mirrors, beamsplitters and other round and
for the most part single-element optics. According to Newport
Corporation, one of the leading providers of this kind of
equipment, the main factors to consider in selecting a mount
are adjustment type — that is, kinematic, gimbal, or
flexure, transmission capability, and mechanical interface.
In a kinematic mount, the most commonly used method of providing
two-axis rotation, the center of rotation is located off the
optic's surface. For a gimbal mount, the center of rotation
is precisely the geometrical center and one the front surface
of the optical component. Flexure mounts use solid springs
to constrain the component's mounting plate. Melles Griot,
another foremost purveyor of such components, asserts that
kinematic and flexure mounts offer economical, precise positioning
in spite of some cross-coupled motion. Because gimbal mounts
provide angular adjustment without translation, they are employed
in the most precise beam control applications, and are generally
more expensive than kinematic mounts.
Mounts with a clear aperture are obviously suitable for use
with transmissive elements such as beamsplitters, lenses,
and filters. Platform mounts, with their solid front plate,
are suited to reflective optics, and to adjust components
mounted on their surface, such as prisms and beamsplitting
cubes.
NEWPORT CORP.
www.newport.com
Newport offers a wide variety of fixed, full-size and miniature
kinematic, gimbal, and specialty mounts that can be mounted
to posts, tables, and rails.
•The Ultima™ series
is the company's top-of-the-line mount, utilizing interchangeable
actuators. These stable kinematic mounts feature the company's
patented clear quadrant design, and many optional mounting
accessories are offered. Included in the series are mounts
for sizes ranging from 0.5, 1, 1.18, 2.3 and 4 in. the clear
quadrant of the front plate allows beams to pass close to
the edge of the mounted optic, so that beams can be reflected
from one mount to another at minimum incident angles and with
minimum separation. Part numbers begin with U. there are more
than 55 kinematic and 58 gimbal mounts in the series.
•The Ultima Corner
Gimbal Optical Mounts are designed to tilt an optic without
translating its surface by adjusting two adjacent actuators.
Corner mounting allows an optic to be positioned in locations
where space is at a premium. Newport says the mounts for 1-inch
diameter optics are provided with 80 TPI adjustment screws,
but the user can also use the base model and choose among
several actuators.
•The Performa™ series
are kinematic mounts for general laboratory or industrial
applications. They are available for 1-inch diameter aperture
optics as well as platform versions in sizes ranging from
0.5 and 0.75 to 1 and 2-inch optics. Precision 80 TPI adjustment
screws with matching brass sleeves are standard on these mounts.
Capstan knobs can enhance the position sensitivity of the
mount by inserting a standard Allen wrench. An adaptor converts
the mount to a post-mounted horizontal platform for mounting
prisms, cube beamsplitters, and other components. These mounts
are available in aperture optic sizes of 1 and 2 in., and
in a 2-in. platform type. Part numbers begin with a P.
•The MFM series
of flexure mounts comes in diameter sizes of 0.5, 0.75 or
1 in. the 80-pitch adjustment screws can be adjusted over
a 3.5-degree range with an Allen wrench. The company offers
a number of other specialty mounts: the GM series of orthogonal
coplanar adjustments; the HVM series for vertical-drive kinematic
adjustment; the VGM for vertical-drive gimbal adjustment;
the 610 series ultra-resolution mirror mount; and several
series of lens mounts and holders, in addition to many series
of specialty optical mounts. New on the line is the RM25 polarizer
rotation mount, allowing 1 in. diameter linear polarizers,
wave plates, calcite polarizers, and polarizing cube beamsplitters
to be continuously rotated 360 degrees.
MELLES GRIOT
www.mellesgriot.com
Melles Griot's MicroLab™ opto-mechanical system is designed
for optical components that typically range from 5 to 15 millimeters
in size. It includes mirror and beamsplitter mounts, lens,
fiber and polarizer holders, and optical component cell systems.
A series of optical mounting cells is also available to make
handling easier.
•The kinematic mirror
mount can be adjusted over an angular range of plus or minus
5 degrees. Mirrors of a diameter of 12.5 to 12.7 millimeters
and 25 to 25.4 millimeters are attached to the mount using
component holders. When mounted horizontally on top of a post,
this black anodized aluminum mount becomes a prism or cube-beamsplitter
tilt table.
•Gimbal and beamsplitter
mounts provide plus or minus 2.5 degrees of angular adjustment
about two orthogonal axes that intersect at the center of
the optic's front surface. A retaining ring holds optics from
12.5 to 12.7 millimeters. Mirrors up to 6 millimeters in thickness
and plate beamsplitters up to a millimeter in thickness can
be mounted. The maximum transmitted beam diameter at a 45-degree
angle of incidence for the gimbal beamsplitter mount is 5
millimeters.
•The flexure mirror/optic
mount has three adjusting screws that yield plus or minus
2 degrees of tilt when one screw is turned and 1 millimeter
of translation along the optical axis when all three are turned
an equal amount. Melles Griot says that the mount's 16-mm-diameter
aperture makes it unique. The flexure mirror/optics mount
is made of brass with a black chrome finish and black anodized
aluminum. An optical-cell rotation adaptor allows optics mounted
in 16-mm-diameter cells to be rotated in the flexure mount.
•The company makes
a variety of optical components to mount 12.5-millimeter and
25-millimeter components to the kinematic mirror amount and
flexure optics mount. The smaller component is mounted in
a plate that attaches to the front face of the mount. Two
versions are available: the standard version has an M2-threaded
hole fro post mounting, and the extended version is used with
two kinematic mirror mounts when transmission is required.
With 25-millijmeter components, the optic is held against
the front mount's surface by a plate that goes over the front
face of the optic. It is attached to the mirror mount with
four screws.
•A line of optical
component cells is designed to hold lenses and other components
for handling. The cells come in outer diameters of 10, 16,
and 20 millimeters, covering a component diameter range of
5 to 17.5 millimeters. Other holders include a gradient-index
lens holder, a spherical ball lens holder, a microcomponent
holder, a pinhole/slit holder, a filter holder and an adjustable
lens holder. There are also tow types of cell holders, one
that attaches to a mirror/optics mount, and one with an integral
base. An x-y positioner for optical component cells allows
16-millimeter-diamter cell-mounted components to be aligned
in the x-y plane.
•A line of kinematic
mirror/beamsplitter mounts has an angular range of 10 degrees.
It is available with a ready-to-go mounted wavelength/4 flat
mirror. Optics diameters can be used with the mounts range
from 12.5 to 50.8 millimeters. They come with either two or
three adjusters. Also available is a line of flexure mirror/beamsplitter
mounts. Sizes that can be used range from the MicroLab version
(16 mm) to 50 mm. A group of flexure mirror mounts called
Micropoint™ are machined from a single piece of hardened and
tempered steel. Also available are a general-purpose gimbal
mirror/beamsplitter mount as well as a research-grade mirror/beamsplitter
mount. Holders are available for lenses, filters, and polarizers.
EDMUND INDUSTRIAL
OPTICS
www.edmundoptics.com
Edmund Industrial Optics' line of mounting components has
tapped holes and dimensions in the English standard (i.e.,
1/4 - 20, holes on 1 inch centers) as well as mounting components
in the metric standard (i.e., M6 threads, holes on 25 millimeter
centers). But the company's thread-to-thread adapter plates
and metric-base plates are designed to be compatible with
both English and metric standard breadboards.
•Edmund's kinematic
optical cell mounts cover diameter ranges from 1-2 in. up
to 12.5-12.625 in. They are also available for the company's
C-mount and T-mount integrating mounting components. There
is an angled series that offers an angled base for simple
stand-alone installation. The straight series adapts to standard
1/4 - 20 TPI hardware. There are nine models in the angled
series and five in the straight series. A line of precision
gimbal mounts has coarse angular translation of 360 degrees
and fine angular translation of 0.25-mm pitch. A 20-mm stainless
steel metric post is included. There are four models in the
series.
•The kinematic mounts
series has three models, with sizes of 25.4, 50.0, and 50.8
mm. A set screw holds optics in place. There are two color-coded
knobs for pitch and roll. The top-mounted micrometers do not
interfere with system integration.
•Edmund offers a
self-centering jaw clamp and gimbal mount for use with components
up to 4-1/4 in. diameter. The clamp is mounted alone on the
1/4- 20 tapped hole in the base or to the 6-in. gimbal frame.
The gimbal mount has an angled base to allow fastening by
1/4-20 cap screws or unfastened standalone use. The mount
features two-axis tilt with orthogonal three-point suspension.
Three 64-pitch screws permit adjustment.
•A line of polarizer
mounts has three standard and one micrometer-driven models.
They have a secure optic retainer, a lever arm for smooth
rotation, a locking knob for repeatability, and 360-degree
scaled vernier. For the micrometer-driven version, the total
travel of the 0.25-mm pitch fine adjustment is 10 degrees.
•Edmund offers a
fixed/multiple filter mount that allows stacking of up to
four filters. It comes in two models with a retaining ring
that holds the filter in place. A matching mounting cell sits
securely in the filter holder.
•Among other devices
available are metric rectangular optic mounts, a metric spring/mount
filter holder, a prism holder, and a rotary assembly with
a prism holder. A kinematic mirror mount holds 1-in. and 2-in.
diameter mirrors. The company also offers an adjustable gimbal
mirror mount with movement by means of two fine 80-pitch screws,
permitting 7-degree tilt in two planes. Also available are
miniature, small, and large straight and angle mounts, and
optical fiber alignment mounts.
COHERENT
www.coherent.com
Coherent's standard stock includes a wide variety of precision
optical mounts and hardware, as well as translation components,
optical tables and rails. TopAdjust kinematic mirror mounts
are available in many sizes ranging from 1 in. square to 3
in. square. Both tip and tilt controls are top mounted to
avoid beam contact where access is restricted or it is necessary
to keep the operator's hands away from the optical path, as
in high-power systems. TopAdjust mirror mounts are available
with bases for metric or inch table mounting or without bases
for post-mounted applications. The fine pitch adjusting screws
are fitted with knurled locking rings to prevent accidental
movement once set in place. Angular adjustment range is plus
or minus 2 degrees.
•Coherent markets
Precise® 1-in. mirror mounts designed to accept round mirrors
or beamsplitters up to 25.4 millimeters in diameter. Holes
in the backplate are designed to accept almost all hardware.
Angular adjustment range is plus or minus 10 degrees. The
100-thread-per-inch adjusters have the hex key option.
•The company also
offers kinematic mirror mounts for round, front-surface mirrors
or beamsplitters of either 3 or 4 in. diameters. Optics are
retained in the mount by two delrin inserts and a nylon-tipped
set screw. Angular adjustment range for the 3-in. mount is
plus or minus 12 degrees, and for the 4-in. plus or minus
10 degrees. Clear aperture on the 3-in. mount is 73.0 millimeters
and for the 4-in. 97.5 millimeters.
•Available from
Coherent are compact mirror mounts that will accept a square
or round (cell-mounted) mirrors in 1-in. or smaller sizes.
A wide range of cells is available for mounting round mirrors
on the face of these mounts. Angular adjustment range is plus
or minus 15 degrees.
•A line of lens
and optical component mounts is also available from Coherent.
These are fixed position post-mounted component holders. They
are available in a range of sizes from 0.5 in. diameter to
4 in. diameter. Lenses, filters, mirrors and windows can all
be held in these mounts.
•The company also
offers adapters for a range of mounts; fixed threaded lens
mounts; kinematic prism and beamsplitter platforms; beam height
risers for Precise mounts; 124-degree adapters; and a variety
of beam steering devices, among other instruments.
OPTOSIGMA
www.optosigma.com
OptoSigma markets a broad range of mirror mounts of both the
kinematic and the gimbal variety. Large precision mirror mounts
are available for 4, 6, 8, and 10-in. diameter mirrors, and
larger sizes are available on request.
Sensitivity is less than 3 arcseconds. Mirrors are held in
a mounting ring by means of three clamp screws. Angular alignment
can be made about two axes, by means of dual-action adjusters
with fine screw and ultrafine differential micrometer action.
•OptoSigma offers
its UltraStable™ mirror mounts for 1 and 2-in. diameter mirrors.
Adapters can be used for other sizes. Mirrors are secured
in place from the rear of the mount using a retaining ring.
Two degrees of freedom about the azimuthal and elevational
axes are driven by a dual-speed differential micrometer.
•A line of gimbal
mirror and beamsplitter mounts have full 360-degree rotation
around the mirror surface. Once roughly set, the mount may
be locked and fine motion controlled by the micrometer adjusters
for both azimuth and elevation. These mounts accept 2-in.
(50-mm) or 30-mm diameter beamsplitters and provide a clear
aperture at 45 degrees of 1-in. and one-half inch respectively.
The line has six mirror mounts ad two beamsplitter mounts
available.
•OptoSigma makes
mini-beamsplitter mounts available. These permit a 45-degree
incident beam to pass impeded through the mount. They accommodate
only 15-mm diameter beamsplitters of thickness up to 2 millimeters,
providing a 6-mm diameter clear aperture at 45 degrees. They
have two top-projecting screws to provide plus or minus 2
degrees of tilt over two axes.
•The company's Top
Mike™ mirror mounts have the tilt controls top-mounted within
the width of the mirror mount. The mirror can be adjusted
in two axes of tilt. The TopMike is normally supplied with
a base that sets the mirror normal to the optical path, but
two other mounting options are available, one being at 45
degrees to the incident path. There are five models available.
•OptoSigma also
offers the OneTouch™ mirror mount. The user simply touches
a spring-loaded button on the side of the mount, inserts the
mirror, releases the button, and the mirror is held securely
in an adjustable mount. Cutouts in the side of the mount make
it possible to avoid touching the mirror. A slight noncircularity
in the mounting aperture ensures kinematic sealing and allows
for a slight variation in diameter to accommodate both rich
and metr4ic diameters. Fine-pitch 100 TPI (0.25-mm) screws
provide stable and controllable adjustment in two perpendicular
axes of tilt.
•Other products
available from the company include flexure mirror mounts,
small mirror mounts, mini-mirror mounts (10, 12.7, and 15
mm in thickness of 3 to 6 mm), five- and three-axis optical
mounts, polarizer holders and pinhole mounts.
THORLABS
www.thorlabs.com
Thorlabs offers a six-axis kinematic mounts (K6X) designed
for such applications as crystal alignment, lens alignment
for diffraction-limited performance, and fiber optic coupling.
Also available is a prism mounting attachment designed to
provide half-inch by 1.44- in. platform mounted to the rotation
stage of the K6X. The K6X1 comes with prism-mounting hardware,
hex key and mounting screws.
•Thorlabs says its
gimbal mirror mounts for 1-in. and 2-in. mounts are true gimbal
design because the optical surface is located o the rotating
axes. Their graduated adjuster knobs have 50 divisions per
revolution. The hardened steel drive mechanism provides long-term
stability, according to the company.
•Also available
are mounts for thin 1-in. and 2-in. optics, a kinematic prism
mount, and a kinematic platform mount. Among mounts for lenses
are those with diameters for 0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2-in. diameter
lenses. A self-centering lens mount has three spring-loaded
fingers that automatically grip optics ranging from 0.15 in.
to 1.70 in. the lens holder fingers are opened with one hand
by pinching the actuator tabs between the thumb and forefinger.
The spring-loaded fingers firmly grip the optic while the
cam action of the nested ring design centers the optic.
•New to the line
is a cylindrical lens mount that accepts cylinders up to 65
millimeters tall. Thorlabs says that, unlike most guillotine
mounts, there are no objects in its design to block the optical
axis. Also available is a high-precision rotation mount that
combines easy-to-use manual rotation with backlash-free micrometer
adjustment, according to the company.
CVI LASER
www.cvilaser.com
CVI Laser offers several lines of rotary mounts intended for
optics of diameters of 0.5 through 3.0 in. The Model 1180
allows the user to make quick coarse adjustments followed
by an extremely fine tweaking. With the locking screw disengaged
the 1180 operates like an ordinary rotary mount, allowing
full 360-degree rotation. with the thumb-screw engaged, turning
the adjustment screw provides 20-microradian per degree adjustment
over a plus or minus 5-degree total rotation range.
•Mirror mounts are
available for all standard mirror sizes from 0.5 to 4/0. new
to the line are rectangular mirror/prism mounts, which hold
right-angle prisms and rectangular or square mirrors, providing,
according to CVI, very large clear apertures. CVI's Series
200 has 16 models to choose from, for sizes ranging from 0.5-in.
diameter to 2.0 in. diameter. CVI says its Series 310 is its
largest and highest-resolution mount, with models for 2.0,
3.0, and 4.0 optics. The mounts are made of hardened steel
with lapped carbide bearing points and 80-pitch adjustment
screws.
•Also available
are series of rectangular mirror/prism mounts, a three-axis
prism mount, lens centering cells, filter wheels, lens mount
right-angle plates, and many other optics holders.
•CVI calls the Series
8800 super mount a completely innovative concept. The mainframe
is a heavy fixed plate with three 80-pitch adjustment screws
and a tiltable contoured frame with a pair of precision machined
dovetails. Individual optic carriers clamp to these dovetails.
The beam height is no longer built into the mount; the 8800
makes it adjustable. And the same mainframe may hold many
different types of carriers. Some of the devices that may
be fashioned with the 8800 are a vertical-plane ring resonator,
a Michelson interferometer, and a reflective beam expander
with astigmatism compensation.
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