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In Person ONLY at the Boston Park Plaza

8 A and B – Optical Alignment Techniques – Parts 1 and 2

Dr. Eric S. Buice (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)
Dr. Vivek G. Badami (Zygo Corporation)

Monday, November 13, 2023
8:30 AM – 12:30 PM (EST USA) – Part 1

Tuesday, November 14, 2023
8:30 AM – 12:30 PM (EST USA)

This tutorial focuses on the use of optical instruments to perform alignment of mechanical and opto-mechanical systems. The tutorial is split into two parts. The first part will focus on introducing basic concepts of precision engineering principles and optical instruments, while the second part will include additional alignment techniques and alignment examples using the techniques introduced.

Part I

  • Introduction to basic precision engineering principles and terminology
  • Introduction to geometric optics as they pertain to optical alignment
  • Working principle (including measurement uncertainty considerations) and their application to
    -Autocollimator
    -Fizeau interferometer
    -Position sensitive detectors

Part II

  • Working principle (including measurement uncertainty considerations) and their application to
    -Laser trackers
    -Point Source Microscope
    -Optical probes
  • Design considerations to preserve alignment
    -Adjustments
    -Joining
    *Adhesives
    *Fasteners
    -Monolithic vs assembly
  • Alignment examples
    -Two degree-of-freedom (DOF) displacement interferometer for a position stage
    -Lens center
    -Fiducialization of an accelerator magnet

Dr. Eric Buice is a mechanical engineer at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) where he leads the engineering division metrology group. In addition, he is the project engineer and mechanical systems manager for the Gamma-Ray Energy Tracking Array project (a Department of Energy capital asset project). Eric has authored several technical papers, book chapters, and patents in the areas of precision engineering design, and alignment and assembly. He is an active member of the precision engineering community and had the honor of serving as President of the American Society for Precision Engineering (ASPE) in 2018. Eric received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte while being a member of the Center for Precision Metrology. Prior to joining LBNL, Eric was employed at Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and Delft University of Technology.

Dr. Vivek Badami has been part of the Innovations Group at Zygo Corporation since 2006, where as a Technology Fellow he works on precision engineering challenges across the entire organization. He also actively involved in mentoring young engineers in the art and science of precision engineering. Vivek is active in the precision engineering and metrology communities. He is a past president of the American Society for Precision Engineering (ASPE) and has served the Society in various capacities, including as Associate Editor for the international journal of the Society, Precision Engineering. Vivek has authored several technical papers, a book chapter and holds several patents. Vivek obtained his doctorate from the Center for Precision Metrology at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 1999, where he is now an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Science.