Fast Steering Mirrors (FSMs), Tip/Tilt Stages, Active Optics Stages
Piezo and voice-coil beam steering platforms for laser control, free space optical communication, astronomy, active optics and precision alignment.
Piezoelectric laser beam steering mirrors use stiff piezo actuators to drive single-axis or multi-axis mirror platforms with very high resolution and fast response. Depending on the design, these systems can provide microsecond response times, nanoradian resolution and optical deflection ranges from small high-speed corrections to large-angle beam steering.
Multi-axis steering mirrors are typically based on parallel-kinematic tripod or differential-drive designs. Open-loop and closed-loop versions are available, with feedback options selected according to precision, dynamics, stability and cost requirements. Fast steering mirrors are used in active optics, laser beam steering, fiber coupling, optical communication, astronomy and free-space optical communication.
Piezo FSMs
Best suited for high stiffness, high precision, fast response, low friction and compact beam steering where nanoradian to microradian motion matters.
Voice-Coil FSMs
Useful for larger angular ranges and high-dynamic applications where smooth two-axis motion and larger optical deflection angles are required.
Video: Fast Steering Mirrors for Laser Control
FSMs for laser control with piezoelectric solid-state motors and voice-coil linear motors for beam steering, fiber coupling and free-space optical communication.
V-931 Voice-Coil FSM 2-Axis Beam Steering Tip/Tilt Mirror Platform
- High-dynamic laser beam steering and free-space communication
- Can hold mirrors up to 1 inch diameter
- Optical deflection angle in θX and θY up to 8 degrees
- Voice-coil push-pull linear motors
- Flexure guides with no wear and no friction
These compact 2-axis steering mirror mounts provide precise motion in two orthogonal axes. A compact bench-top and OEM controller is available.
S-335 Compact Piezo FSM Tip/Tilt Mirror: Long Travel to 70 mrad Deflection
- Optical beam deflection up to 70 mrad
- Coplanar axes and fixed pivot point
- Factory-installed mirror available
- Millisecond response, resolution to 0.1 µrad
- Closed-loop position servo control
- Frictionless flexure guidance
S-330 Piezo FSM Tip/Tilt Laser Beam Steering Mirror Platform
- Optical beam deflection up to 20 mrad
- Resolution to 20 nrad with excellent position stability
- Closed-loop versions for better linearity
- Parallel-kinematic design for dynamics, stability and linearity
- For mirrors up to 50 mm diameter
- Differential design for temperature stability
S-340 Piezo FSM Tip/Tilt Mirror Platform for Optics up to 100 mm Diameter
- Optical beam deflection up to 4 mrad
- Resolution up to 20 nrad
- Parallel kinematics for precision and dynamics
- Single moving platform with fixed pivot point
- Sub-millisecond response
- Differential design for temperature stability
S-310 - S-316 Miniature Piezo Tip/Tilt + Z Scanner with Aperture
- Tripod design for tip/tilt and piston motion
- Parallel kinematics for enhanced dynamics and multi-axis accuracy
- 10 mm clear aperture
- Optical beam deflection up to 2.4 mrad
- Piston motion up to 12 µm
- Open-loop and closed-loop versions
- High-precision flexure guidance
Custom 3-Axis FSM: Piezo Tip/Tilt + Z Platform for Mirrors, Optics up to 25 mm Diameter
- Optical beam deflection up to 10 mrad, resolution to 50 nrad
- Piston motion up to 30 µm
- Compact tripod design with coplanar axes
- Sub-millisecond response
- Closed-loop versions for higher precision
- Frictionless flexure guidance and parallel kinematics
S-224 / S-226 Miniature Single-Axis High-Speed Tilt Mirror
- Open-loop and closed-loop versions
- Nanoradian resolution
- Microsecond response
- Up to 4.4 mrad optical beam deflection
- BK7 mirror included
- Zero-friction flexure guiding system
- Ceramic-encapsulated PICMA® piezo multilayer actuators
Video: Z-Tip-Tilt Air Bearing Stage on Planar XY Air Bearing Stage
P-518, P-528, P-558 Piezo Tip/Tilt + Z Stage: High Dynamics with 66 x 66 mm Aperture
- 1- and 3-axis versions
- Closed-loop tilt range 2 mrad; Z travel 200 µm
- Parallel kinematics and metrology for fast response
- Frictionless flexure guidance
- 66 x 66 mm clear aperture
- Capacitive sensors for high linearity
High-Force Tip/Tilt + Z Platform Concepts with PiezoMotor Drives
- NEXLINE® high-force piezo walking drives
- Self-locking at rest, no heat generation
- Vacuum-compatible and non-magnetic designs available
- Parallel kinematics for dynamics and multi-axis accuracy
- 200 N load capacity
- 5 nm incremental sensors and picometer dithering mode
Hexapods and Active Tip/Tilt Mirrors for Astronomy
- Mirror diameter: 314 mm
- Tip/tilt range: ±500 µrad
- Resonant frequency: 280 Hz
Active Tip/Tilt Mirrors in Astronomical Telescopes
- Mirror diameter: 150 mm
- Tip/tilt range: ±600 µrad
- Resonant frequency: 610 Hz
E-616 Controller for Fast Piezo Steering Mirrors and Platforms
- Three piezo amplifiers provide up to 10 W peak power
- Closed-loop operation
- Internal coordinate transformation for tripod designs
- Compact and cost-effective design for OEM or bench-top use
E-501 Modular Controllers for Steering Mirror Systems
Modular controller architecture for custom multi-axis piezo steering mirror and active optics systems.
Fast Beam Steering, Stabilization and Optical Alignment
Fast Steering Mirrors (FSMs) are high-speed optical positioning systems that precisely control the direction of a reflected laser beam. Driven by piezo actuators or voice-coil motors, they can perform extremely small angular corrections with fast response and very high angular resolution. Unlike conventional motorized mirror mounts, FSMs are designed for continuous high-bandwidth motion, making them ideal for dynamic beam stabilization, tracking and alignment.
Common Applications
- Laser beam stabilization: Correcting beam pointing errors caused by vibration, thermal drift or air turbulence.
- Free-space optical communication: Maintaining laser alignment between satellites, aircraft and ground stations.
- Fiber optic alignment: Maximizing coupling efficiency in silicon photonics, transceiver assembly and automated fiber alignment.
- Astronomy and adaptive optics: Compensating for atmospheric turbulence, telescope vibration and tracking errors.
- Semiconductor inspection and lithography: Steering laser beams for wafer inspection, maskless lithography and precision metrology.
Additional Uses
- Laser scanning and micromachining: High-speed beam positioning for laser drilling, cutting, marking and additive manufacturing.
- Interferometry and optical metrology: Stabilizing optical paths and compensating for vibration.
- Microscopy and biomedical imaging: Fast beam positioning in confocal microscopy, OCT and multiphoton imaging.
- Quantum optics and photonics research: Stabilizing laser cavities, optical traps and interferometers.
- Defense and aerospace: Beam stabilization, target tracking and optical communication terminals.
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Compare piezo fast steering mirrors, tip/tilt platforms and matched steering mirror controllers.
