The ultimate performance of the Rasnik 3-point alignment system

The ultimate performance of the Rasnik 3-point alignment system

van der Graaf, H. (TU Delft ImPhys/Hoogenboom group; Nikhef)
Bertolini, Alessandro (Nikhef)
van Heijningen, Joris (Université Catholique de Louvain)
Bouwens, Bram (Amsterdam Scientific Instruments, Amsterdam)
de Gaay Fortman, Nelson (AMOLF)
van der Reep, Tom (Universiteit van Amsterdam)
Otemann, Lennart (Student TU Delft; Nikhef)

2023

The Rasnik system is a 3-point optical displacement monitor with sub-nanometer precision. The CCD-Rasnik alignment system was developed in 1993 for monitoring the alignment of the muon chambers of the ATLAS Muon Spectrometer at CERN. Since then, the development has continued as new CMOS imaging pixel chips became available. In this work the system processes and parameters that limit the precision are studied. We conclude that the spatial resolution of Rasnik is only limited by the quantum fluctuations of the photon flux arriving at the pixels of the image sensor. The results of two Rasnik systems are compared to results from simulations, which are in good agreement. The best spatial resolution obtained was 7 pm/Hz. Finally, some applications of high-precision Rasnik systems are set out.

2D displacement monitoring
Detection of gravitational waves
Detector alignment and calibration methods
Image processing
Interferometry
Length sensing and monitoring
Quantum fluctuations
Seismic sensors
Shot noise

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:ed93d2c3-1c0e-4899-86bf-78fbe693ef20

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2023.168160

0168-9002

Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research. Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors, and Associated Equipment, 1050

Institutional Repository

journal article

© 2023 H. van der Graaf, Alessandro Bertolini, Joris van Heijningen, Bram Bouwens, Nelson de Gaay Fortman, Tom van der Reep, Lennart Otemann