Timothy Giles has developed a 3D-printed optical cavity designed to detect minute shifts in space and wavelength. By arranging two semi-transparent mirrors—one on a printed mount and the other attached to a speaker diaphragm—the setup uses light interference to measure displacement at a nanometer scale. A webcam monitors an emitted beam pattern for alignment, while the speaker acts as a linear actuator to vary cavity length. This experiment also demonstrates how thermal shifts in a laser diode can cause wavelength instability through changing interference patterns.
- 3D printing construction of optical cavities
- Measuring displacement via light interference
- Utilizing a speaker diaphragm as an actuator
- Observing temperature-induced laser wavelength fluctuations
- 3D printing construction of optical cavities
- Measuring displacement via light interference
- Utilizing a speaker diaphragm as an actuator
- Observing temperature-induced laser wavelength fluctuations
Caltech physicists have created the largest qubit array ever assembled: 6,100 neutral-atom qubits trapped in a grid by lasers. This milestone demonstrates a pathway to large error-corrected quantum computers, maintaining qubit superposition for about 13 seconds with 99.98% manipulation accuracy.
This article details a DIY atomic force microscope built from mostly junk parts. It utilizes a laser-based deflection reading system instead of traditional piezo motors, achieving 35-um resolution with readily available materials. The project focuses on simplicity and cost-effectiveness, making it suitable for educational purposes.
I bought one of these at Weird Stuff Warehouse
