A compact, fiber-coupled, six degree-of-freedom measurement system which enables fast, accurate calibration, and error mapping of precision linear stages is presented. The novel design has the advantages of simplicity, compactness, and relatively low cost. This proposed sensor can simultaneously measure displacement, two straightness errors, and changes in pitch, yaw, and roll using a single optical beam traveling between the measurement system and a small target. The optical configuration of the system and the working principle for all degrees-of-freedom are presented along with the influence and compensation of crosstalk motions in roll and straightness measurements. Several comparison experiments are conducted to investigate the feasibility and performance of the proposed system in each degree-of-freedom independently. Comparison experiments to a commercial interferometer demonstrate error standard deviations of 0.33 μm in straightness, 0.14 μrad in pitch, 0.44 μradin yaw, and 45.8 μrad in roll.

Heterodyne displacement interferometry is a widely accepted methodology capable of measuring displacements with sub-nanometer resolution in many applications. We present a compact heterodyne system capable of simultaneously measuring Z-displacement along with changes in pitch and yaw using a single measurement beam incident on a plane mirror target. The interferometer's measurement detector utilizes differential wavefront sensing to decouple and measure these three degrees of freedom. Reliable rotational measurements typically require calibration; however, two analytical models are discussed which predict the readout of rotational scaling factors.

Silicon nanomembranes are thin nanoporous films that are frequently used as separation tools for nanoparticles and biological materials. In such applications, increased differential pressure across the nanomembranes directly increases process throughput. Therefore, a predictive tool governing the macroscale failure of the porous thin films is fundamentally important in application areas where high differential pressures are desired. Although the deflections and stresses of the nanomembranes can be reliably predicted, a straightforward and prognostic failure model has yet to be outlined. In this publication, a brittle macroscale failure model is established and validated with experimental results. Theoretical agreement with experiments within 10% accuracy offers reliable failure predictions for square membrane dimensions from 60 µm to 1.5 mm through over 100 trials. The methodology relies on an effective fracture toughness from previously published work that is incorporated through Griffith's law. These developments will be useful in the selection of nanomembranes for particular applications and will help guide the design of materials with improved strength. The model should also prove useful for high-volume, in-line processing and inspection of nanomembranes as their role becomes more prominent in industry.

Heterodyne interferometry is a widely accepted methodology with high resolution in many metrology applications. As a functionality enhancement, differential wavefront sensing (DWS) enables simultaneous measurement of displacement, pitch, and yaw using a displacement interferometry system and a single beam incident on a plane mirror target. The angular change is measured using a weighted phase average between symmetrically adjacent quadrant photodiode pairs. In this paper, we present an analytical model to predict the scaling of differential phase signals based on fundamental Gaussian beams. Several numerical models are presented to discuss the effects of physical beam parameters, detector size, system alignment errors, and beam wavefront aberrations on the DWS technique. The results of our modeling predict rotational scaling factors and a usable linear range. Furthermore, experimental results show the analytically predicted scaling factor is in good agreement with empirical calibration. Our three degree-of-freedom interferometer can achieve a resolution of 0.4 nm in displacement and 0.2 μrad in pitch and yaw simultaneously.

We present a robust optical-roll sensor with a high-dynamic range and high-throughput capabilities. The working principle relies on tracking the amplitude of an optical square wave-encoded light source. After encoding a square wave onto a polarization reference, quadrature demodulation of the polarized light allows us to cancel common-mode noise. Benefits of this sensor include its simplicity, low cost, high-throughput, insensitivity to source amplitude fluctuations, and no inherent drift. In this Letter, we present the working principle and experimentally validate a 43° usable working range with 0.002° resolution. This sensor has the highest reported dynamic range for optical roll sensing.

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Deployable, large aperture space optics require precision phasing of segmented and uniquesparsely-filled primaries for optical alignment which introduce challenges to these already complex optomechanical designs. This work presents a multifunctional high strain composite hinge with integrated piezoelectric actuation capabilities to support deployable space telescopes and address these challenges. Finite element simulations and experimental testing are utilized to design and validate the multifunctional high strain composite hinge. Macro Fiber Composite actuators are integrated with the high strain composite hinge in a specific layout based on the finite element analyses to induce piston, pitch, and roll tip motions for precision optical alignment after deployment. A feedback control system is implemented to demonstrate an actuation resolution of better than 25 nm over a 15 µm range for a single degree of freedom, validating the multifunctional high strain composite hinge for alignment to levels required for visible wavelength optical systems.

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