Fiber Alignment Stage, ULTRAlign, Left-Handed, 6 mm XZ 13 mm Y, M4
Model: M-561D-XYZ-LH
Product Series Overview
ULTRAlign Precision Fiber Optic Alignment StagesThe M-561D-XYZ-LH ULTRAlign™ Metric Linear 3 Axis Stage features stainless steel construction for superior long-term stability, with thermally matched, hardened steel crossed roller bearings for unsurpassed performance in a left-handed version. The crossed roller bearings and precision-manufactured bearing reference surfaces provide exceptionally straight 6mm linear travel in X and Z, with angular deviation better than 100 μrad about any axis. The Y axis provides 13 mm of travel. We measure each stage on a six-axis interferometer to ensure performance. 561 Series Stages have been specifically designed for precision fiber alignment. A top-mounted rail permits precise and secure attachment of an array of fiber and device holders. A tilt platform can be attached for two-axis tip/tilt alignment of fibers to devices. And a goniometer is available to provide rotation about the fiber axis. With up to six degrees of freedom, high-performance ULTRAlign stages offer a superior fiber optic alignment solution. Three actuators are required and are not included.
Rigid Crossed Roller Bearings Eliminate Flexure Resonances
Spring-flexures have been touted as the best design method for ultra-precise positioning, but they are inherently susceptible to vibrational disturbances. Their low natural frequency makes them extremely sensitive to everyday lab activities - even walking or talking could disturb your experimental measurements. Touching a flexure component or the optical table can cause changes in the stage position, causing large variations in the output signal. This sensitivity can make fine manual adjustment difficult or sometimes impossible and forces the use of more expensive motion control systems.
Crossed roller bearings, when optimally pre-loaded, are not as susceptible to vibration, giving the ULTRAlign™ far greater stability and stiffness than positioners with flexure designs. With the precision and stability made possible by crossed roller bearing construction, in many cases manual micrometers can be substituted for piezoelectric actuators without degrading positioning performance.
Super-Stable Stainless Steel Construction
All major structural components of ULTRAlign components, including all brackets and accessory mounts, are constructed of stainless steel. Stainless steel is a far superior material, compared to aluminum, for fiber positioning components and other high stability applications. Stainless steel construction gives ULTRAlign components significantly better overall thermal stability, so that experimental setups maintain their alignment over long periods. For example, typical power fluctuation of a butt coupled single-mode fiber, with a 10 µm spacing, is less than 1.5 dB over a 16 hour period. This is equivalent to 1.5 µm of drift. The robust design of the 562 Series Stages makes them ideally suited for repetitive, high use fiber optic manufacturing and research applications. These stages have greater thermal immunity than aluminum stages due to their higher mass, while larger diameter bearings increase the stiffness of the stage.
Maximized Alignment Precision with Additional Pitch/Yaw/Roll Control
561 and 562 Series Tip and Tilt Platforms are compatible with the linear stages to provide two-axis pitch and yaw (θYθZ) alignment of fibers to devices. Goniometers are also available to provide roll (θX) control about the fiber axis. With up to six degrees of freedom attainable, these high-performance ULTRAlign stages offer a superior fiber optic alignment solution. Shown in the video are 561-GON, 561-GB, and 561-TILT mounted on the 561D-XYZ stage.
Use 561 and 562 Series in One System
The optical height of ULTRAlign 561D-XYZ and 561D-YZ stages can be matched to the optical height of the 562F-XYZ by using the 561-ADPT Adapter. This will allow you to use both series of stages in one system.
Lock Securely Without Interfering With Alignment
Each axis of 562 series stages is equipped with a non-influencing locking mechanism to maintain alignment with sub-micron sensitivity when engaging or disengaging.
Easy Interchange Actuators
The ULTRAlign stages feature specially designed actuator mounting blocks to allow quick and easy actuator changes on any axis, at any time. They are sold without actuators to allow the comprehensive selection of manual or motorized actuators to choose from.
Rail Mounting Fiber Alignment Accessories
An easy-to-use dovetail mounting rail on the top surface of ULTRAlign stages provides a single, common reference surface for precise and secure attachment of fiber systems and device holders for alignment from the wide selection of fiber alignment accessories. We offer a wide range of accessories specifically designed for use with the 561 and 562 Series Fiber Alignment Stages, including fiber holders and positioners, GRIN Lens and objective mounts, a variety of platforms, and a vacuum waveguide mount with eight vacuum ports. Shown is 561-GM 3-axis gimbal bare fiber chuck positioner which features 360° roll and ±5° pitch & yaw with sensitivity of 2° in θX and 12 arc sec in θYθZ, respectively.
Resources & Downloads
3D Product Models
2D Product Drawings
561D-XYZ LH-S(115.9 kB, PDF)