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Practical Optical Alignment with the Point Source Microscope  In optical design, the concept of an optical axis is basic, it exists naturally within the description  of the system. In the laboratory, however, the optical axis does not exist until it is physically  established through measurements and alignment. Optical components must be positioned and  oriented relative […]

We recently began assembling a 10.6 µm interferometer using a CO₂ laser as the coherent light source. Because most CO₂ lasers are designed for materials processing, their output power is far greater than is practical—or safe—for interferometry. Even after inserting a wire-grid polarizer immediately after the laser, our initial alignment attempts resulted in a burned […]

In the coming chapters, I will compare several methods of centering lenses where one degree of freedom is constrained. To keep things simple, all examples use a single plano convex lens with fixed tilt and decenter, assessed using a common measure of centering quality. The examples are presented in two dimensions, though the principles extend […]

This chapter takes a different approach than the previous ones. Rather than diving into a specific technical procedure, I want to share my overall view of opto-mechanical alignment. This perspective was recently prompted by a request to review a journal paper on the subject. After a quick look at the paper, I honestly did not […]

Capital equipment decisions demand rigorous financial justification. When precision optical alignment challenges consume your lab’s time and budget, determining whether a Point Source Microscope delivers adequate return on investment requires examining multiple cost factors, time savings, and performance improvements. At $23,950 for a complete system including Python-based PSM Align software, the Point Source Microscope represents […]

I was never satisfied with my explanation of lens centering, so this Chapter is another try. Start with a diagram that is familiar to anyone who has some familiarity with optics, the diagram that explains first order image formation as in Fig. 1. Fig. 1 A generic optical system with the two rays that define […]