The Axicon Centering Station uses a Bessel beam projected upward from beneath the base as a reference axis for centering singlet lenses to complex assemblies. The downward looking
PSM is the detector for the transmitted Bessel beam as well as the detector of a center of curvature from a lens surface to simultaneously view two points for complete lens alignment in
tilt with a precision of 1 arc second and decenter to 1 µm when using a 10x objective on the PSM. Centering is achieved by simple x-y motion with immediate quantitative feedback on the
effect of a centering adjustment.

The ACS is also useful as a vertical lens bench for making other types of measurements such as focal lengths, distortion and location of principal planes. The breadboard base makes it easy
to add other tooling for positioning lens cells and adjusting lens elements. Included with the ACS is a PSM that is easily removed so it can be used in a stand-alone mode and two fiber-coupled, variable-intensity laser diode sources, one producing a transmitted beam and one coupled to the PSM producing a reflected beam. Also, two quiet oilless vacuum pumps provide vacuum chucking for both the lens barrel and the lens being centered. (The customer must design and make their own tooling, but we will suggest easy methods of designing suitable tooling.)

Click here to download Spec Sheet.