6/23/2021 Alignment of an on-axis parabolic mirror |

BY CGUIRAO | FEBRUARY 21, 2013 · 4:07 PM

Alignment of an on-axis parabolic mirror

Introduction:
The purpose of this post is to show the alignment procedure of an on-axis parabolic mirror. The methodology has
been applied to align the collimator of two of our fibre linked spectrographs:

 LECHES which uses the full parabola and

FLECHAS where the collimator works in an off-axis parabola. In this case we have used a full parabola
because it is cheaper than a dedicated off-axis mirror.

An off-axis parabolic (OAP) mirror consists of a small section cut out  from a larger, so-called “parent” parabolic
mirror

List of used material:

Fibre: Multi-mode  – Ø50 µm, 0.22 NA, L 5 meters with SMA connectors
Parabolic mirror: Edmund Optics Ref. NT32-065-533  Ø 4.25″ (108 mm).  FL 17.5″ (444 mm)
Optical target (circles on paper mask)
Flat mirror: Edmund Optics Ref. NT69-251 76.2 diam. Surface Accuracy λ/ 4-6
Flat mirror  Ø 100 mm with a  Ø 15mm central aperture
Mirror Support: Newport EQ120-E Outer Bracket 90°
Green laser 532 nm < 5 mW, preferably with regulated power supply
Teleobjective f:500 mm, Ø 67 mm 1:8, e.g. Walimex or Beroflex with adapter to 1.25″ eyepiece
Eyepiece f:20mm for teleobjective
Optical table. E.g. Thorlabs PBG52511 –  Breadboard – 1200 x 750 x 55 mm

Procedure:
The alignment was highly simplified by using a high quality (better than λ) mirror with a central aperture:

 The steps we followed were:

setting an optical axis with a laser beam

alignment of the centre of the parabolic mirror with the axis of the laser beam,
alignment of  the hollow flat mirror in front of the parabolic mirror and perpendicular to the optical axis
alignment of the fibre by auto collimation with the hollow mirror
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Preparation of the paper mask (optical target). Concentric circles were

printed on a piece of paper where the outer circle matched exactly the diameter of the parabolic mirror (Ø 108
mm). Each concentric ring corresponded to specific F/#. In a parabola of 444 mm of focal length, a circle
with Ø 44.4 mm represents an F10,  another circle of  Ø 55.5 mm for an F8 ,  Ø 74 mm for an F6  and so on.

Cutting the paper mask. Centre the mirror with respect to the mask and
with its face down to avoid touching the aluminium  surface. With care and a very sharp knife cut half a
diameter of the  mirror.  In the very same centre make a hole of Ø 2 mm. 

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Mount the parabolic mirror on its support. Fix  the parabolic mirror on

its final support perpendicular to the optical table and hang the paper mask over it. The small hole Ø 2mm in
the mask defines the centre of the mirror. We assume that the vertex of the parabola is on the centre of the
mirror!

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the opticalPolicy
axis.  The laser was mounted on a support
containing X, Y displacements (green) and tip-tilt (yellow). The laser beam should be parallel to the optical
table and its heigh must be the one defined by the centre of the parabola. Close and accept

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Fix a ruler to the optical table and parallel to one side. Another ruler in “L”
shape will be used to mark the height of the axis marked by the laser beam. This ruler will slide along the
other ruler fixed to the table. Adjust the position in X, Y (red) of the laser so that the laser hits the edge of the
“L” ruler along the fixed ruler. Adjust tilt (yellow) and height (green) until the laser beam hits the marked
height in the “L” ruler along the fixed ruler. Once the axis is set, clamp the laser mount to the table.

Alignment of the parabola with the laser. Remove the rulers and set the
mirror assembly at the other end of the optical table. Set the paper mask on the mirror and adjust the position
of the mount until the laser beam hits the hole in the centre of the paper mask. The laser beam is now
reflected. A fine adjustment of the height of the laser beam is permitted until the laser beam hits with
precision the very same centre of the mirror.

While keeping the laser beam in the centre, tilt and tip the mirror assembly
until the reflected laser beam returns in the same axis (auto-collimation). Once the auto-collimation is
achieved clamp the mirror assembly to the table.

Alignment of the hollow mirror.  Set the flat mirror facing the parabolic
mirror and at a distance beyond the focal length (444 mm) of the parabola, so that it will not interfere later
with the fibre output and its support.

Adjust the height of the mirror to pass the laser through the central hole. Place a
small flat mirror in the centre of the hole. Tilt and tip the mirror to adjust the perpendicularity with the laser
beam (auto-collimation with respect to the laser beam.

 
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Alignment of the optical fibre. Inject the laser beam on one end of the
fibre. To increase the flux of the laser into the fibre we used a  microscope objective: first, you place the fibre
input end in front of the laser beam, place the microscope objective (< 10X) between the two with the
entrance end of the objective pointing to the fibre. Adjust its high and lateral position until the output beam is
centred with respect to the fibre. Approach the objective to the fibre to focus the beam into the fibre. For that
look through the objective and look for the image of the fibre end. DO NOT look at the laser beam!!  On the
other fibre end we glued a small white screen on the SMA connector and made a small hole just in front of the
fibre.

The output fibre end was mounted on a mechanical support allowing tilt-tip and
height adjustments. The fibre assembly is set in front of the parabolic mirror at a distance close to its focal
length (444 mm). Use the laser beam projected on the paper mask to coarse adjust the fibre output by tip-tilt.
              

Remove the paper mask from the parabola, the laser beam is now reflected from
the parabolic mirror toward the flat mirror behind the fibre. And again back from the flat mirror toward the
parabolic mirror and reflected back again toward the fibre. On the small white screen you should observe the
image of the fibre. Adjust focus and lateral movements of the fibre output until the reflection concurs with the
fibre position.

To reach the sharpest focus position along the axis the best method is to
visualize the image of the fibre output with an objective set at infinite and acting as a collimator. We have a
500mm focal distance telephoto objective where we put a reticle on the focal plane and an eye-piece t see the
reticle.The focal length of the objective should be larger than the one of the parabola (444 mm) in order to
increase the accuracy of the focusing. The calibrated objective was put just behind the fibre assembly and
aligned in height with the axis. With a ruler along the optical axis (laser beam) we displaced the fibre until its
image observed through the objective is in focus. When achieved we clamp the fibre assembly to the the
optical table.

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Another method to achieve focus position can be obtained with a paper mask
Close and
with two holes converting our on-axis parabolic mirror in two smaller off-axis parabolic mirrors. Eachaccept
of
these parabolic mirrors will produce individual images of the fibre.

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By displacing the fibre assembly along the axis, the focus position will be
reached when both images coincide together with the same position of the fibre. Once this is achieved clamp
the fibre assembly to the optical table. At this point the alignment is complete.

Below a gallery of pictures taken during the alignment of our collimator for our LECHES spectrograph

Photo-gallery
 

Alignment of the flat mirror

with the laser

Alignment of laser with rulers

Centring the laser beam from

fibre output in parabolic mirror

Returned images of the fibre on

the ferrule
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Authors
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Carlos Guirao and Gerardo Avila

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Alignment of an on-axis  parabolic mirror by CAOS group is an article licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution-Non-Commercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Germany License.

Based on a work at spectroscopy.wordpress.com

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