An autocollimator with sub-microradian sensitivity

Abstract

We present a simple autocollimator with sub-microradian sensitivity. To demonstrate the capabilities of our autocollimator, we study the simple harmonic motion of a cantilever beam and apply an external force to affect the cantilever's resonant frequency in the context of dynamic force microscopy. Our setup is ideal for the advanced undergraduate instructional laboratory and allows a variety of high-precision, tabletop experiments.