Technologies

Invention:
This technology is a simple apparatus that reduces the angular drift of an optical mount when subjected to thermal or vibrational perturbations. The novel device provides inexpensive mounts with the ability to achieve <2 μrad/C drift when exposed to unbalanced thermal shock either to one part of the mount itself or to the entire optical system.

Background:
Current commercial kinematic optical mounts suffer from instability when exposed to fluctuations in temperature and vibrations. Often, the only way to mitigate the negative effects of such perturbations is through purchasing expensive high-end custom mounts.