Fast Compact Laser Shutter Using a Direct Current Motor and 3D Printing

TL;DR

This paper introduces a simple, reliable, and fast mechanical laser shutter built with a DC motor and 3D-printed parts, achieving high-speed switching with minimal delay and jitter, suitable for repeated use in optical experiments.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel laser shutter design combining 3D printing and a DC motor, offering high speed, reliability, and ease of replication for optical applications.

Findings

Switching speed of 1.22 m/s at nominal voltage

Activation delay of 1 ms

Over 10^8 cycles without failure or degradation

Abstract

We present a mechanical laser shutter design that utilizes a DC electric motor to rotate a blade which blocks and unblocks a light beam. The blade and the main body of the shutter are modeled with computer aided design (CAD) and are produced by 3D printing. Rubber flaps are used to limit the blade's range of motion, reducing vibrations and preventing undesirable blade oscillations. At its nominal operating voltage, the shutter achieves a switching speed of (1.22 $\pm$ 0.02) m/s with 1 ms activation delay and 10 $\mu$s jitter in its timing performance. The shutter design is simple, easy to replicate, and highly reliable, showing no failure or degradation in performance over more than $10^8$ cycles.