Stabilizing Ultrafast Electron Microscopy Imaging for Custom Optics
Problem
The Zewail Group operating a Quanta FEG 650 interfaced with a custom optical set-up to enable ultrafast electron microscopy imaging. Feeding a laser into a SEM chamber requires positional stability within a few micrometers, so SEM internal air isolation was not in use.
Vibration levels present in the environment were significant enough to degrade imaging capability when air isolation was disabled. A high performance vibration isolation system which could maintain a high degree of positional stability was required.
Recommendation
The AVI-400M Table Stable Active Vibration Isolation Technology from Herzan features:
- Hybrid of passive and active isolation mechanisms
- Dynamically senses incoming vibrations and actively cancels them out
- No low frequency resonance
- Excellent attenuation performance across a broad frequency spectrum in all six degrees of freedom
- High stiffness and rigidity (500x more stiff than passive solutions)
- FEI tested and approved solution
Installation
Highlights of installation:
- Easily retrofitted
- No special tools or training required
- Installation took approximately one hour
- Did not increase footprint or height of system
- Virtually invisible when installed (see picture above)
Result
“We feel quite positive about the performance of the AVI. The anti-vibration system much reduces the vibration seen in the images, and at the same time maintains vertical stability of the laser interaction with the emitter tip.” – Jerry Yang, Caltech
To request more information or a quotation for these or other Herzan products, contact IL Photonics.