IRVINE, Calif. -- Newport Corporation today announced that it has expanded its NewStep Series of positioning products by introducing a vacuum compatible version of the NewStep actuator to provide low-cost automation solutions for many laser and electro-optic experiments.

Good for processes operating in a vacuum to 10-6 Torr the NewStep NSA12V6 actuator is a direct replacement for manual micrometers and enables precise motorized control of a wide range of translation stages and mechanically adjustable mounts. Measuring only 60 mm (length) by 30 mm (diameter), this tiny actuator provides up to 11 mm travel with sub-micron incremental motion.

The new actuator is intended for both OEM and laboratory applications requiring automated and/or remote control of adjustable stages and mounts in a vacuum such as laser cavity optimization, adjustment of beam delivery optics, measurement of laser beam coherence length, and general applications requiring fine adjustment of lenses, mirrors and other position-sensitive photonic components. The combination of precision motion and low-profile packaging are ideally suited for applications with limited accessibility, such as within tightly folded laser cavities.

The NewStep NSA12V6 actuator uses a high torque stepper motor to provide better than 0.3 micron incremental steps at 1 mm/sec with a maximum load of 28 Newtons. A 3 meter vacuum compatible cable is included with the actuator. The non-rotating tip allows even large loads to be moved without long-term degradation of the actuator-stage interface.

Newport Corp.