Scalability of precision design principles for machines and instruments

Thermally compensated common-path differential interferometer with reduced long-term zero-drifts

“…Mechanics (stress, vibrations) -the mechanical construction induces drifts typically due to a combination of several aspects: temperature fluctuations (again) cause thermal expansion and together with vibration, they can combine with existing material stresses or pre-loads to induce geometrical changes. Apart from isolating the measurement from temperature fluctuations and vibrations, the two fundamental approaches to mitigate these drifts are avoiding them by designing using rigid and low-expansion materials in combination with best practice [10] or introducing redundancy in the measurement [11]. Laser noise incorporates fluctuations in polarization state, amplitude and optical frequency.…”

A Cylindricity Measurement with Nanometric Uncertainty

“…The NanoCyl design relies on a rigorous application of Precision Design Principles (PDPs) largely documented in literature [3], [4], in particular the principle of the usage of a metrology frame. Its implementation requires the realization of two distinguishable and dissociated frames: the metrology frame and the structural frame [5]- [7]. The NanoCyl architecture can be described as a metrological sliding pivot equipped with a cylindrical reference feature mounted on the same rotary table as the measured CP.…”

Precision metrology: from bulk optics towards metasurface optics

“…Both technological progress and the competitiveness of these areas are fundamentally reliant upon advances in metrology [3,4]. Optical instruments are a mainstay of precision metrology, but traditionally these systems are heavy and bulky, expensive to manufacture, difficult to assemble, and requiring operation in well-stabilised environments in order to maintain accuracy and optimal functionality [5][6][7].…”