Automatic & manual alignment of EUV and X-ray optics

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The shorter the wavelength, the more accurate the metrology has to be. This postulate is well-known by optics manufacturers and designers.

Even the best optics cannot deliver its promise if not perfectly aligned. With a very short wavelength, the alignment accuracy required increases dramatically as compared to visible light, imposing the use of at-wavelength wavefront sensors.

For more than a decade, Imagine Optic’s EUV and X-ray sensors have been demonstrated to be indispensable tools for tasks ranging from single optic alignment, such as an off-axis parabola and a toroidal mirror, to benders and active optics under grazing and normal incidences. Such a wavefront sensor facilitates the alignment of Kirkpatrick-Baez systems. Influence functions of the mirror to wavefront or phase profiles can be easily obtained in order to optimize a focal spot.

For in-line metrology, we provide HASO EUV and HASO HXR. Both wavefront sensors are based on our patented rotated square technology that ensures the highest possible wavefront spatial resolution and the highest possible spectral range.

An example of the improvement for 3 keV optics by wavefront metrology is shown in the figure above (Mercère et al, 2006). The wavefront is improved nearly 10 times after alignment, and the final spot size becomes symmetrical.

With a Hartmann wavefront sensor, it is possible to probe the X-ray beam quality instantaneously and in situ. Coupled to an active mirror, automatic adjustments can be performed to optimize the wavefront and the focal spot.

When used for adaptive optics, the HASO wavefront sensors become a powerful tool that provides you with micro and nano-beam focusing, a high Strehl ratio and precise control of the focal spot shape. When combined with our powerful and user-friendly software packages, you can easily conduct wavefront acquisition and reconstruction. Additional add-on modules offer features including extended wavefront reconstruction and Point Spread Function (PSF), as well as a dynamic library that enables you to build your own software applications using this remarkable device.

Publications:

1. P. Mercère et al, Automatic alignment of a Kirkpatrick-Baez active optic by use of a soft-x-ray Hartmann wavefront sensor. Opt. Lett. 2006, 31, 199–201

2. O. de La Rochefoucauld et al, EUV and Hard X-ray Hartmann Wavefront Sensing for Optical Metrology, Alignment and Phase Imaging, Sensors 2021, 21(3), 874

3. O. de La Rochefoucauld et al, Developments of EUV/x-ray wavefront sensors and adaptive optics at Imagine Optic, Proceeding Volume 10761, Adaptive X-ray Optics V, 107610 E, 2018, San Diego.