Enabling high-precision nano-positioning for beamlines: the Precision Metrology Lab at Diamond Light Source

THOD03
18 Sept 2025, 15:40
20m
Science Village Hall (The Loop)

Science Village Hall

The Loop

Lund, Sweden
Contributed Oral Presentation Nano-positioning Precision Mechanics Session

Speaker

Qingxin Meng (Diamond Light Source)

Description

The Precision Metrology Laboratory (PML) at Diamond Light Source provides an ultra-stable environment and specialist instrumentation to perform micro- and nano-scale dimensional metrology to support beamline operation. The lab enclosure is actively stabilised to 10 mK RMS in temperature and 0.5 %RH RMS in humidity. Under these conditions, sub-nm displacements have been measured using capacitive sensor and linear interferometers, and sub-nrad angles have been measured using autocollimator and angle interferometers$*$. Such measurement capabilities are required to characterise and enhance the performance of positioning systems for sample, optics, and detectors on the beamlines. This philosophy has frequently helped to identify faults prior to installation, including misalignments, parasitic motion errors, and controller issues, thereby saving a significant amount of X-ray commissioning time. Increasingly, the PML is involved in the prototyping of new beamline components that are beyond the production limits of commercial suppliers. Metrology data is routinely used to guide Engineering design decisions, following the mechatronics principle.

Footnotes

$*$ “Generating and measuring pico-radian angles”, S.G. Alcock et al, Metrologia 59, 6, 064002 (2022) https://doi.org/10.1088/1681-7575/ac9736

Author

Qingxin Meng (Diamond Light Source)

Co-authors

Bee Mullan (Diamond Light Source) Simon Alcock (Diamond Light Source) Rabia Ince (National Physical Laboratory, Diamond Light Source) Hiten Patel (Diamond Light Source) Kawal Sawhney (Diamond Light Source)

Presentation materials

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