Cryogenic actuators in ground-based astronomical instrumentation

Rohloff, Ralf-Rainer; Baumeister, Harald; Ebert, M.; Münch, Norbert; Naranjo, V.

doi:10.1117/12.551114

Cited by 6 publications

(6 citation statements)

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“…A Phytron cryo motor (right) is used in combination with a Harmonic Drive cryo gear, a dichronite coated spindle and a nut. The design is very similar to the design presented in (Rohloff, Baumeister, Ebert, Münch, & Naranjo, 2004). …”

Section: Subcomponentsmentioning

confidence: 72%

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The GRAVITY spectrometers: mechanical design

et al. 2010

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Operating on 6 interferometric baselines, i.e. using all 4 UTs, the 2nd generation VLTI instrument GRAVITY will deliver narrow angle astrometry with 10μas accuracy at the infrared K-band.Within the international GRAVITY consortium, the Cologne institute is responsible for the development and construction of the two spectrometers: one for the science object, and one for the fringe tracking object.Optically two individual components, both spectrometers are two separate units with their own housing and interfaces inside the vacuum vessel of GRAVITY. The general design of the spectrometers, however, is similar. The optical layout is separated into beam collimator (with integrated optics and metrology laser injection) and camera system (with detector, dispersive element, & Wollaston filter wheel). Mechanically, this transfers to two regions which are separated by a solid baffle wall incorporating the blocking filter for the metrology Laser wavelength. The optical subunits are mounted in individual rigid tubes which pay respect to the individual shape, size and thermal expansion of the lenses.For a minimized thermal background, the spectrometers are actively cooled down to an operating temperature of 80K in the ambient temperature environment of the GRAVITY vacuum dewar. The integrated optics beam combiner and the metrology laser injection, which are operated at 200/240K, are mounted thermally isolated to the cold housing of the spectrometers.The optical design has shown that the alignment of the detector is crucial to the performance of the spectrometers. Therefore, in addition to four wheel mechanisms, six cryogenic positioning mechanisms are included in the mechanical design of the detector mount.

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Section: Subcomponentsmentioning

confidence: 72%

“…Linear movement is realized with a spindle very similar to the linear actuator presented in (Rohloff, Baumeister, Ebert, Münch, & Naranjo, 2004), see Fig. 6.…”

Section: Subcomponentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The GRAVITY spectrometers: mechanical design

et al. 2010

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“…61 Both the leadscrew and nut underwent processing to apply Dicronite ® (a proprietary type of tungsten disulphide dry lubricant) to minimize friction. A tungsten disulphide lubricant was chosen instead of molybdenum disulphide as the latter is hygroscopic (Rohloff et al 2004).…”

Section: Dither Mechanismmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The collimator actuator design borrows essential features of the cryogenic linear actuator (without planetary gear) described in Rohloff et al (2004), including use of a Phytron VSS 52 cryogenic stepper motor. Each motor turns a fine-pitched (1/4-80) leadscrew and a complementary nut travels along the screw.…”

Section: Collimator Tip-tilt-focusmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE) Spectrographs

Wilson

Hearty

Skrutskie

et al. 2019

PASP

249

116

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We describe the design and performance of the near-infrared (1.51-1.70 μm), fiber-fed, multi-object (300 fibers), high resolution (R = λ/Δλ ∼ 22,500) spectrograph built for the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE). APOGEE is a survey of ∼10 5 red giant stars that systematically sampled all Milky Way populations (bulge, disk, and halo) to study the Galaxy's chemical and kinematical history. It was part of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey III (SDSS-III) from 2011 to 2014 using the 2.5 m Sloan Foundation Telescope at Apache Point Observatory, New Mexico. The APOGEE-2 survey is now using the spectrograph as part of SDSS-IV, as well as a second spectrograph, a close copy of the first, operating at the 2.5 m du Pont Telescope at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile. Although several fiber-fed, multi-object, high resolution spectrographs have been built for visual wavelength spectroscopy, the APOGEE spectrograph is one of the first such instruments built for observations in the near-infrared. The instrument's successful development was enabled by several key innovations, including a "gang connector" to allow simultaneous connections of 300 fibers; hermetically sealed feedthroughs to allow fibers to pass through the cryostat wall continuously; the first cryogenically deployed mosaic volume phase holographic grating; and a large refractive camera that includes mono-crystalline silicon and fused silica elements with diameters as large as ∼400 mm. This paper contains a comprehensive description of all aspects of the instrument including the fiber system, optics and opto-mechanics, detector arrays, mechanics and cryogenics, instrument control, calibration system, optical performance and stability, lessons learned, and design changes for the second instrument.

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“…On the other hand, we ensured that the bending force would remain well below 100 N. This value represents a typical operating limit for cryogenic lead-screw actuators. 9 such as the one we use to initially break the contact.…”

Section: Design Considerationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A versatile low-temperature setup for the electrical characterization of single-molecule junctions

Martin

Smit

Egmond

et al. 2011

Review of Scientific Instruments

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We present a modular high-vacuum setup for the electrical characterization of single molecules down to liquid helium temperatures. The experimental design is based on microfabricated mechanically controllable break junctions, which offer control over the distance of two electrodes via the bending of a flexible substrate. The actuator part of the setup is divided into two stages. The slow stage is based on a differential screw drive with a large bending range. An amplified piezoceramic actuator forms the fast stage of the setup, which can operate at bending speeds of up to 800 μm/s. In our microfabricated break junctions this is translated into breaking speeds of several 10 nm/s, sufficient for the fast acquisition of large statistical datasets. The bandwidth of the measurement electronics has been optimized to enable fast dI/dV spectroscopy on molecular junctions with resistances up to 100 M . The performance of the setup is demonstrated for a π -conjugated oligo(phenyleneethynylene)-dithiol molecule.

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Cryogenic actuators in ground-based astronomical instrumentation

Cited by 6 publications

References 0 publications

The GRAVITY spectrometers: mechanical design

The GRAVITY spectrometers: mechanical design

The Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE) Spectrographs

A versatile low-temperature setup for the electrical characterization of single-molecule junctions

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