A mount in which a movable plate is held against a fixed plate at three points, often a cone, a groove and a flat, by springs, so its position is uniquely defined and returns to the same spot. Two fine-pitch adjusters, commonly 80 to 100 threads per inch, tip and tilt the optic in small steps. Kinematic designs are the standard way to hold mirrors and lenses that need precise, stable alignment.
Lock the kinematic mount after you're aligned, the bottom knob creeps every time someone bumps the table.
Also heard as
- kinematic
Related terms
Walk the beam
To align a beam onto a path using two steering mirrors adjusted in turn against two targets or irises.
Peak up
To fine-tune alignment knobs while watching a power meter or signal until the reading reaches its maximum.
Breadboard
A rigid, flat plate drilled with a grid of threaded holes on which optics are mounted, smaller than a full optical table.
Periscope
A pair of stacked mirrors that changes a laser beam's height above the table, and optionally rotates its polarization.