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2-inch kinematic lens mounts for 4f systems

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Kyle Michael Douglass

2-inch kinematic lens mounts for 4f systems

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Hi everyone,

I'd like to more easily and precisely align the pair of tube lenses in
the 4f system preceding the camera of a custom-built microscope in our
lab. The tube lenses are 200 mm focal length Nikon lenses and are
mounted in adapters for Thorlabs 2" optomechanics with SM2 external
threads (https://www.thorlabs.com/thorproduct.cfm?partnumber=SM2A20).
The adapters are currently mounted into 2" kinematic mounts supporting
x- and y-translations and attached to the table with a standard post and
post holder.

The problem is that I can only align the lenses to four degrees of
freedom (x, y, z, and rotations about the vertical axis) with this
setup; back-reflections from an on-axis alignment laser indicate that
there is a slight rotation of the lenses about the horizontal axis that
remains uncorrected.

Could someone recommend a supplier for 4-axis kinematic lens mounts
(x,y, tip, tilt) for 2" diameter optomechanics? Has anyone found a
satisfactory way to mount and align these lenses to all five degrees of
freedom? Unless I am mistaken, most of the major suppliers only make
4-axis kinematic mounts for 1" diameter optics.

Thanks!
Kyle

--
Kyle M. Douglass, PhD
Post-doctoral researcher
The Laboratory of Experimental Biophysics
EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
http://kmdouglass.github.io
http://leb.epfl.ch

Eric Marino

Re: 2-inch kinematic lens mounts for 4f systems

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Hi Kyle,

If your design will allow the extra height, I’ve mounted my Kinematic mounts to a multi-axis platform.

https://www.newport.com/search/?q1=4+axis+Kinematic+Mount%3Arelevance%3Acompatibility%3AALL%3AnpCategory%3Atilt-platforms&ajax&text=4+axis+Kinematic+Mount <https://www.newport.com/search/?q1=4+axis+Kinematic+Mount:relevance:compatibility:ALL:npCategory:tilt-platforms&ajax&text=4+axis+Kinematic+Mount>

Eric Marino
[hidden email]

> On May 1, 2017, at 5:14 AM, Kyle Douglass <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your posting.
> *****
>
> Hi everyone,
>
> I'd like to more easily and precisely align the pair of tube lenses in the 4f system preceding the camera of a custom-built microscope in our lab. The tube lenses are 200 mm focal length Nikon lenses and are mounted in adapters for Thorlabs 2" optomechanics with SM2 external threads (https://www.thorlabs.com/thorproduct.cfm?partnumber=SM2A20). The adapters are currently mounted into 2" kinematic mounts supporting x- and y-translations and attached to the table with a standard post and post holder.
>
> The problem is that I can only align the lenses to four degrees of freedom (x, y, z, and rotations about the vertical axis) with this setup; back-reflections from an on-axis alignment laser indicate that there is a slight rotation of the lenses about the horizontal axis that remains uncorrected.
>
> Could someone recommend a supplier for 4-axis kinematic lens mounts (x,y, tip, tilt) for 2" diameter optomechanics? Has anyone found a satisfactory way to mount and align these lenses to all five degrees of freedom? Unless I am mistaken, most of the major suppliers only make 4-axis kinematic mounts for 1" diameter optics.
>
> Thanks!
> Kyle
>
>
> --
> Kyle M. Douglass, PhD
> Post-doctoral researcher
> The Laboratory of Experimental Biophysics
> EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
> http://kmdouglass.github.io
> http://leb.epfl.ch

Edward Allgeyer

Re: 2-inch kinematic lens mounts for 4f systems

In reply to this post by Kyle Michael Douglass

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Hi Kyle,

For two inch optics, depending on how high you can go off the table, I've
had good success with a five axis mount (XYZ θXθY) from Newport (part
number LP-2A, https://www.newport.com/p/LP-2A). I've used these with a
mirror for an interferometer and didn't have any obvious problems. It has a
bracket perpendicular to the base which you can take off or put on either
side. One metric and one imperial mount hole on the bottom if that's
helpful.

Best,
Ed

On Mon, May 1, 2017 at 10:14 AM, Kyle Douglass <[hidden email]>
wrote:

> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your posting.
> *****
>
> Hi everyone,
>
> I'd like to more easily and precisely align the pair of tube lenses in the
> 4f system preceding the camera of a custom-built microscope in our lab. The
> tube lenses are 200 mm focal length Nikon lenses and are mounted in
> adapters for Thorlabs 2" optomechanics with SM2 external threads (
> https://www.thorlabs.com/thorproduct.cfm?partnumber=SM2A20). The adapters
> are currently mounted into 2" kinematic mounts supporting x- and
> y-translations and attached to the table with a standard post and post
> holder.
>
> The problem is that I can only align the lenses to four degrees of freedom
> (x, y, z, and rotations about the vertical axis) with this setup;
> back-reflections from an on-axis alignment laser indicate that there is a
> slight rotation of the lenses about the horizontal axis that remains
> uncorrected.
>
> Could someone recommend a supplier for 4-axis kinematic lens mounts (x,y,
> tip, tilt) for 2" diameter optomechanics? Has anyone found a satisfactory
> way to mount and align these lenses to all five degrees of freedom? Unless
> I am mistaken, most of the major suppliers only make 4-axis kinematic
> mounts for 1" diameter optics.
>
> Thanks!
> Kyle
>
>
> --
> Kyle M. Douglass, PhD
> Post-doctoral researcher
> The Laboratory of Experimental Biophysics
> EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
> http://kmdouglass.github.io
> http://leb.epfl.ch
>

Alfred Millett-Sikking

Re: 2-inch kinematic lens mounts for 4f systems

In reply to this post by Eric Marino

> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your posting.
> *****
>
> Hi Kyle,
>
> If your design will allow the extra height, I’ve mounted my Kinematic
> mounts to a multi-axis platform.
>
> <a href="https://www.newport.com/search/?q1=4+axis+Kinematic+Mount%">https://www.newport.com/search/?q1=4+axis+Kinematic+Mount%
> 3Arelevance%3Acompatibility%3AALL%3AnpCategory%3Atilt-
> platforms&ajax&text=4+axis+Kinematic+Mount <https://www.newport.com/searc
> h/?q1=4+axis+Kinematic+Mount:relevance:compatibility:ALL:
> npCategory:tilt-platforms&ajax&text=4+axis+Kinematic+Mount>
>
> Eric Marino
> [hidden email]
>
>
>
>
> > On May 1, 2017, at 5:14 AM, Kyle Douglass <[hidden email]> wrote:
> >
> > *****
> > To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> > http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> > Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your
> posting.
> > *****
> >
> > Hi everyone,
> >
> > I'd like to more easily and precisely align the pair of tube lenses in
> the 4f system preceding the camera of a custom-built microscope in our lab.
> The tube lenses are 200 mm focal length Nikon lenses and are mounted in
> adapters for Thorlabs 2" optomechanics with SM2 external threads (
> https://www.thorlabs.com/thorproduct.cfm?partnumber=SM2A20). The adapters
> are currently mounted into 2" kinematic mounts supporting x- and
> y-translations and attached to the table with a standard post and post
> holder.
> >
> > The problem is that I can only align the lenses to four degrees of
> freedom (x, y, z, and rotations about the vertical axis) with this setup;
> back-reflections from an on-axis alignment laser indicate that there is a
> slight rotation of the lenses about the horizontal axis that remains
> uncorrected.
> >
> > Could someone recommend a supplier for 4-axis kinematic lens mounts
> (x,y, tip, tilt) for 2" diameter optomechanics? Has anyone found a
> satisfactory way to mount and align these lenses to all five degrees of
> freedom? Unless I am mistaken, most of the major suppliers only make 4-axis
> kinematic mounts for 1" diameter optics.
> >
> > Thanks!
> > Kyle
> >
> >
> > --
> > Kyle M. Douglass, PhD
> > Post-doctoral researcher
> > The Laboratory of Experimental Biophysics
> > EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
> > http://kmdouglass.github.io
> > http://leb.epfl.ch
>

Kyle Michael Douglass

Re: 2-inch kinematic lens mounts for 4f systems

In reply to this post by Kyle Michael Douglass

*****
To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your posting.
*****

Thanks to everyone who has replied to my question concerning kinematic
mounts for 2" diameter optics.

Regarding the tolerance on the alignment: I suspect that the tip/tilt
alignment of the lenses is actually quite critical in our applications.
One such application is 3D single molecule imaging with a cylindrical
lens. My thinking is that angular misalignment of the tube lenses
introduces a slight amount of coma into the system, which further
results in a PSF centroid position that varies with defocus.

Unfortunately I have not been able to verify this line of reasoning with
Zemax, Code V, etc.

Thanks again everyone,

Kyle

--
Kyle M. Douglass, PhD
Post-doctoral researcher
The Laboratory of Experimental Biophysics
EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
http://kmdouglass.github.io
http://leb.epfl.ch

Craig Brideau

Re: 2-inch kinematic lens mounts for 4f systems

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To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your posting.
*****

Hi Kyle, this makes sense, and the coma and other aberrations will be
stronger for short focal length lenses. Achromatic triplets often have
better performance off axis then doublets, but at the end of the day
aligning the lenses will be the easiest solution.

Craig

On May 2, 2017 12:23 AM, "Kyle Douglass" <[hidden email]> wrote:

> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your posting.
> *****
>
> Thanks to everyone who has replied to my question concerning kinematic
> mounts for 2" diameter optics.
>
> Regarding the tolerance on the alignment: I suspect that the tip/tilt
> alignment of the lenses is actually quite critical in our applications. One
> such application is 3D single molecule imaging with a cylindrical lens. My
> thinking is that angular misalignment of the tube lenses introduces a
> slight amount of coma into the system, which further results in a PSF
> centroid position that varies with defocus.
>
> Unfortunately I have not been able to verify this line of reasoning with
> Zemax, Code V, etc.
>
> Thanks again everyone,
>
> Kyle
>
> --
> Kyle M. Douglass, PhD
> Post-doctoral researcher
> The Laboratory of Experimental Biophysics
> EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
> http://kmdouglass.github.io
> http://leb.epfl.ch
>