The OpenFlexure Block Stage: Sub-100 nm fibre alignment with a monolithic plastic flexure stage

TL;DR

This paper introduces a 3D-printed monolithic plastic flexure stage capable of sub-100 nm resolution, enabling precise automated optical fibre alignment despite the high surface roughness of 3D-printed components.

Contribution

It presents a novel monolithic 3D-printed plastic flexure stage with high precision for optical fibre alignment, leveraging 3D printing's complex internal geometries.

Findings

Achieved sub-100 nm resolution in fibre alignment.

Demonstrated automated optical fibre positioning.

Utilized 3D printing for high-precision monolithic mechanisms.

Abstract

As 3D printers become more widely available, researchers are able to rapidly produce components that may have previously taken weeks to have machined. The resulting plastic components, having high surface roughness, are often not suitable for high-precision optomechanics. However, by playing to the strengths of 3D printing---namely the ability to print complex internal geometries---it is possible to design monolithic mechanisms that do not rely on tight integration of high-precision parts. Here we present a motorised monolithic 3D-printed plastic flexure stage with sub-100 nm resolution, that can perform automated optical fibre alignment.