Products Home4-Axis MicroBlock Stages, 62.5 mm Deck Height
- Four Degrees of Freedom: Two Translation and Two Rotation
- Ideal for Orienting Components with Respect to an
Alignment Stage - High-Precision Differential Drives
MBT402D
Low-Profile Device Stage
±5° Pitch and Yaw Rotation
MBT401D
Thin-Profile Device Stage
6 mm of Vertical Translation
13 mm of Horizontal Translation
Please Wait
| Table 1.1 Common 4-Axis Stage Specificationsa | ||
|---|---|---|
| Travel | Horizontal (Y) | 13 mm (0.51") |
| Vertical (Z) | 6 mm (0.24") | |
| Pitch, Yaw (θy, θz) | ±5° (±87.5 mrad) | |
| Deck Height (Nominal) | 62.5 mm (2.46") | |
| Optical Axis Height (Nominal) | 75 mm (2.95") | |
| Load Capacity (Max) | 500 g (1.1 lbs) | |
Features
- Two Models to Choose From:
- Thin Profile MBT401D(/M) is Ideal for Aligning a Device Between Two Coupling Stages
- Low Profile MBT402D(/M) Provides Maximum Clearance for Height-Limited Applications
- High-Resolution Differential Micrometer Drives
- Grooved Top Plate Ensures Alignment of Multi-Axis Stage Accessories
- Add-On Translation Axis Stage Available for Construction of 5-Axis Systems
Thorlabs' 4-Axis MicroBlock™ Stages are designed for precise orientation of photonics components with respect to one of our high-performance multi-axis stages. When combined with any of our 3-axis stages (MicroBlock , NanoMax™ , or RollerBlock™), these 4-axis stages are ideal for high-performance fiber launch or single mode waveguide coupling applications that require micron resolution. They provide the four adjustments, two translation and two rotation, required to align two optic axes. These four independent degrees of freedom provide 13 mm of horizontal translation, 6 mm of vertical translation, and 10° of pitch and yaw adjustment. The longer range of the fine, ball bearing horizontal adjustment allows for motion across the full width of a waveguide device. The vertical and rotational adjustments are based on a flexure design for precise, smooth, continuous motion with negligible friction and no backlash.
Click to Enlarge
Figure 1.2 4-Axis MBT402D Low-Profile Stage with an HWV001 Waveguide Mount Between Two 3-Axis MBT616D Stages with HFV001 and HFV002 V-Groove Fiber Holders
For direct compatibility with our 3-axis families of stages, the 4-axis MicroBlock stages have a 62.5 mm deck height. When used with a 3-axis stage for a coupling application, these 4-axis stages are recommended for the static positioning of an optical element or device; any optimization of the coupling efficiency should be accomplished by using the 3-axis system to position the input/output device. An example of this type of system can be seen in Figure 1.2. For compatibility with our 6-Axis NanoMax Stages, the AMA554 Height Adapter can be used to raise the deck height of the 4-axis stages to 112.5 mm.
The thin-profile MBT401D(/M) MicroBlock Stage is recommended for applications in which space is at a premium. The narrow 3.58" (91.0 mm) width of this stage makes it ideal for use between two closely spaced coupling stages. In addition, the platform on this stage pivots about a point on the optical axis, which is at a height of 75 mm. In contrast, the low-profile MBT402D(/M) MicroBlock Stage has a shorter 3.73" (94.7 mm) overall height while maintaining the same 62.5 mm deck height. The moving platform on this stage offers fourteen 6-32 (M3 x 0.5) tapped holes for mounting multi-axis stage accessories, but it does not pivot about any point on the system's optical axis. This stage is accessible from three of the four sides, maximizing the free space available for additional equipment that your system may require.
Additional Translation Axis for Building 5-Axis Stages
The MBT501 Additional Translation Axis Stage for 4-Axis MicroBlock Stages provides a third translational degree of freedom for our MBT401D(/M) or MBT402D(/M) stages. This extra translation axis is orthogonal to the two translational adjustments allowed by the stock 4-axis stages and allows for precise positioning of components along the system's optical axis. The additional degree of freedom provides 13 mm (0.51") of ball bearing travel that is actuated with a differential drive. The addition of the fifth axis increases the deck height of the stage to 112.5 mm and the height of the optical axis to 125 mm (4.92"), providing compatibility with our 6-axis NanoMax stages.
Precision Drives
The MBT401D(/M) and MBT402D(/M) stages and the MBT501 additional translation axis stage include precision differential micrometer adjusters. These differential drives include two large knobs for coarse and fine adjustment. The coarse adjustment provides travel at 500 µm per revolution, while the fine adjustment provides 300 µm of travel at nominally 50 µm per revolution.
Easy Alignment of Accessories
A wide range of accessories, shown in Table 1.3, is available to mount and align items such as microscope objectives, collimation packages, waveguides, and fiber to the top of the 4-axis stages. The stage incorporates a central keyway that allows for rapid system reconfiguration while maintaining accessory alignment throughout the experiment.
| Table 1.3 Multi-Axis Stage Accessories | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Fiber Mounts |
Fiber Rotators |
Waveguide Mounts |
Diode Mounts |
Fixed Mounts |
Kinematic Mounts |
Top Platesa |
Extension Platforms |
Fiber Chucks |
Slide Holdersa |
Kinematic Platforms |
Adapter Plates |
| Item # | MBT401D(/M) | MBT402D(/M) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travel (Coarse) |
Horizontal Axis (Y) |
13 mm | Horizontal Axis (Y) |
13 mm |
| Vertical Axis (Z) | 6 mm | Vertical Axis (Z) | 6 mm | |
| Pitch Axis (θy) | ±5° | Pitch Axis (θy) | ±5° | |
| Yaw Axis (θz) | ±5° | Yaw Axis (θz) | ±5° | |
| Travel (Differential) |
Horizontal Axis |
300 µm | Horizontal Axis |
300 µm |
| Vertical Axis | 300 µm | Vertical Axis | 300 µm | |
| Pitch Axis | 30 arcmin | Pitch Axis | 12 arcmin | |
| Yaw Axis | 30 arcmin | Yaw Axis | 30 arcmin | |
| Coarse Adjustment |
500 µm/rev | |||
| Fine Adjustment |
50 µm/rev | |||
| Deck Height | 62.5 mm to the mounting surface of the moving platform. The accessory beam height is 75 mm measured from the bottom surface of the stage. |
|||
| Nominal Outer Dimensions (L x W x H) | 3.58" x 7.13" x 5.73" (91.0 mm x 181.1 mm x 145.5 mm) |
5.23" x 6.37" x 3.73" (132.9 mm x 161.9 mm x 94.7 mm) |
||
| Load Capacity | 500 g (1.1 lbs) | 500 g (1.1 lbs) | ||
| Weight | 0.95 kg (2.1 lbs) | 0.9 kg (2.0 lbs) | ||
| Item # | MBT501 | |
|---|---|---|
| Travel (Coarse) |
Optical Axis (X) |
13 mm |
| Travel (Differential) |
Optical Axis |
300 µm |
| Coarse Adjustment |
500 µm/rev | |
| Fine Adjustment |
50 µm/rev | |
| Deck Height | 112.5 mm to the mounting surface of the moving platform when attached to a stage with a 62.5 mm deck height. The accessory beam height is 125 mm measured from the bottom surface of the stage. |
|
| Nominal Outer Dimensions (L x W x H) | 5.72" x 3.54" x 1.97" (145.3 mm x 90.0 mm x 50.1 mm) |
|
| Load Capacity | 1.5 kg (3.3 lbs) | |
| Weight | 0.67 kg (1.47 lbs) | |
| Posted Comments: | |
tkomljenovic
(posted 2016-12-05 13:49:56.507) Can the MBT402D be motorized using motorized actuators? bwood
(posted 2016-12-07 07:05:00.0) Response from Ben at Thorlabs: Thank you for your feedback. Unfortunately, the MBT402D cannot be motorised at this moment in time. If you do need a motorised multi-axis stage, may I recommend either the MAX300 or MAX600 series stages, which have modular stepper motor actuators available. Thorlabs
(posted 2010-12-01 14:34:12.0) Response from Javier at Thorlabs to gather.malte: we would not recommend using these stages in this configuration. However, if the load is small (<0.25 Kg), the stage should work well. I will contact you directly to discuss your application. gather.malte
(posted 2010-11-30 16:17:05.0) Can these stages operated when mounted on a vertical surface? I would like to mount the base of the stage to a breadboard that is tilted by 90° with regard to the surface of the optical table. Some stages cannot be used in that orientation because the springs inside are not strong enough to lift the weight of the stage back in certain orientations. (I had this with normal linear stages before.) |
Multi-Axis Stage Selection Guide
Click to Enlarge
Figure 83A In the above application, a 3-Axis NanoMax flexure stage is aligned in front of a 6-axis stage at the proper 112.5 mm deck height using an AMA554 Height Adapter.
3-Axis Stages
Thorlabs offers three different 3-Axis Stage variations: NanoMax flexure stages, MicroBlock compact flexure stages, and RollerBlock long-travel stages. Each stage features a 62.5 mm nominal deck height. Our NanoMax line of 3-axis stages offers built-in closed- and open-loop piezos as well as modular drive options that include stepper motors, differential drives, or additional piezos. The MicroBlock stages are available with differential micrometer drives or fine thread thumbscrews; these drives are not removable. Finally, our RollerBlock stage drivers can be switched out for any actuator that has a Ø3/8" (9.5 mm) mounting barrel.
4- and 5-Axis Stages
Our 4- and 5-axis stages are ideal for the static positioning of waveguides or complex optical elements with respect to our 3-axis or 6-axis high-performance alignment stages. Thorlabs' 5-axis stages have nominal heights of 62.5 mm or 112.5 mm. The AMA554 Height Adapter can be used to raise the deck height of the 3-axis or 4-axis stages to 112.5 mm for compatibility with our 5-axis MicroBlock or 6-Axis NanoMax Stages.
6-Axis Stages
Thorlabs' 6-Axis NanoMax Nanopositioners are ideal for complex, multi-axis positioning and have a nominal deck height of 112.5 mm. These stages offer a common point of rotation and a patented parallel flexure design that allows all actuators to be coupled directly to the base to minimize any unwanted motion in the system. Built-in closed- and open-loop piezo options are available. A selection of modular drive options allows any axis to be manual or motorized with the option for external piezos. Our units without included actuators are also available in right- or left-handed configurations. To increase the stage height of the 3-axis stages to 112.5 mm, we recommend our AMA554 Height Adapter, shown in Figure 83A.
A complete selection and comparison of our multi-axis stages is available below.
3-Axis Stages
| Item # | MAX313D | MAX312D | MAX311D | MAX383 | MAX381 | MAX303 | MAX302 | MAX301 | MBT602 | MBT616D | RB13M | RBL13D | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stage Type | NanoMax Flexure Stages | MicroBlock Compact Flexure Stages |
RollerBlock Long Travel Stages | |||||||||||||||||
| Included Drives | DRV3 Differential Micrometers | DRV208 Stepper Motor Actuators | N/A | Fine Thread Thumbscrews | Differential Micrometers | 148-801ST Micrometer Drives |
DRV304 Differential Micrometers |
|||||||||||||
| Built-in Piezos | N/A | Open Loop |
Closed Loop | N/A | Closed Loop | N/A | Open Loop | Closed Loop | N/A | N/A | ||||||||||
| Travel (X, Y, Z) | 4 mm (0.16") | 13 mm (0.51") | ||||||||||||||||||
| Deck Height (Nominal) | 62.5 mm (2.46") | |||||||||||||||||||
| Optical Axis Height (Nominal) | 75 mm (2.95") | |||||||||||||||||||
| Load Capacity (Max) | 1 kg (2.2 lbs) | 4.4 kg (9.7 lbs) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Thermal Stability | 1 µm/°C | - | ||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 1.00 kg (2.20 lbs) | 0.64 kg (1.40 lbs) | 0.59 kg (1.30 lbs) | |||||||||||||||||
4-Axis Stages
| Item # | MBT401D MBT401D/M |
MBT402D MBT402D/M |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Stage Type | 4-Axis Thin-Profile MicroBlock Device Stage | 4-Axis Low-Profile MicroBlock Device Stage | |
| Included Drives | Differential Micrometers | ||
| Built-in Piezos | N/A | ||
| Travel | Horizontal Axis (Y)a | 13 mm (0.51") | |
| Vertical Axis (Z) | 6 mm (0.24") | ||
| Pitch (θy) | ±5° | ||
| Yaw (θz) | ±5° | ||
| Deck Height (Nominal) | 62.5 mm (2.46") | ||
| Optical Axis Height (Nominal) | 75 mm (2.95") | ||
| Load Capacity (Max) | 0.5 kg (1.1 lbs) | ||
5-Axis Stages
| Item # | MBT401D (MBT401D/M) or MBT402D (MBT402D/M) with MBT501 |
PY005 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stage Type | 5-Axis MicroBlock Stage System | Compact 5-Axis Stage | |
| Included Drives | Differential Micrometers | 100 TPI Actuators | |
| Built-in Piezos | N/A | ||
| Travel | Optical Axis (X) | 13 mm (0.51") | 3 mm (0.12") |
| Horizontal Axis (Y) | 13 mm (0.51") | 3 mm (0.12") | |
| Vertical Axis (Z) | 6 mm (0.24") | 3 mm (0.12") | |
| Pitch (θy) | ±5° | ±3.5° | |
| Yaw (θz) | ±5° | ±5° | |
| Deck Height (Nominal) | 112.5 mm (4.43") | 62.5 mm (2.46")a | |
| Optical Axis Height (Nominal) | 125 mm (4.92") | 75 mm (2.95")a | |
| Load Capacity (Max) | 0.5 kg (1.1 lbs) | 0.23 kg (0.5 lbs) | |
6-Axis Stages
| Item # | MAX601D MAX601D/M |
MAX602D MAX602D/M |
MAX603D MAX603D/M |
MAX681 MAX681/M |
MAX682 MAX682/M |
MAX683 MAX683/M |
MAX607 MAX607/M MAX607La MAX607L/Ma |
MAX608 MAX608/M MAX608La MAX608L/Ma |
MAX609 MAX609/M MAX609La MAX609L/Ma |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stage Type | 6-Axis NanoMax Flexure Stage | |||||||||
| Included Drives | DRV3 Differential Micrometers | DRV208 Stepper Motor Actuators | N/A | |||||||
| Built-in Piezos | N/A | Open Loop | Closed Loop | N/A | Open Loop | Closed Loop | N/A | Open Loop | Closed Loop | |
| Travel | X, Y, Z | 4 mm (0.16") | ||||||||
| θx, θy, θz | 6° | |||||||||
| Deck Height (Nominal) | 112.5 mm (4.43") | |||||||||
| Optical Axis Height (Nominal) | 125 mm (4.92") | |||||||||
| Load Capacity (Max) | 1.0 kg (2.2 lbs) | |||||||||
Zoom- Thin Profile (3.58" [91.0 mm]), Ideal for Placement Between Two 3-Axis Stages
- Two 6-32 (M3 x 0.5) Mounting Holes for Multi-Axis Stage Accessories
- Differential Micrometer Drives for Manual Adjustments
- Deck Height of 62.5 mm for Compatibility with 3-Axis Stages
- Horizontal and Vertical Translation
- Horizontal Travel: 13 mm of Ball Bearing Motion
- Vertical Travel: 6 mm of Flexure Motion
- ±5° of Pitch and Yaw Flexure Motion
This MicroBlock stage provides four degrees of freedom: two translation and two rotation. The 62.5 mm deck height is compatible with our 3-axis MicroBlock, NanoMax, and RollerBlock stages. We recommend this narrow stage for applications that require a device to be positioned between two closely spaced coupling stages. An extensive selection of accessories is available to mount items such as microscope objectives, collimation packages, waveguides, and fiber.
Zoom- Compact, Low-Profile Adjusters for Maximum Clearance and Easy Access to the Mounting Surface
- Fourteen 6-32 (M3 x 0.5) Mounting Holes for Multi-Axis Stage Accessories
- Differential Micrometer Drives for Manual Adjustments
- Deck Height of 62.5 mm for Compatibility with 3-Axis Stages
- Horizontal and Vertical Translation
- Horizontal Travel: 13 mm of Ball Bearing Motion
- Vertical Travel: 6 mm of Flexure Motion
- ±5° of Pitch and Yaw Flexure Motion
This MicroBlock Stage provides four degrees of freedom: two translation and two rotation. The 62.5 mm deck height is compatible with our 3-axis MicroBlock, NanoMax, and RollerBlock stage families. The low profile allows for easy access to mounted optics and accessories. The moving platform on the stage is accessible from three of the four sides, maximizing the free space available for additional equipment that your system may require. An extensive selection of accessories is available to mount items such as microscope objectives, collimation packages, waveguides, and fiber.
Zoom
Click to Enlarge
Figure G3.2 5-Axis Stage Constructed from MBT401D and MBT501 Stages
Click to Enlarge
Figure G3.1 5-Axis Stage Constructed from MBT402D and MBT501 Stages
- Add-On Translation Axis for 4-Axis MicroBlock Stages
- Provides 13 mm of Translation Along the Optical Axis
- Differential Micrometer Drive for Manual Adjustments
- Increases Deck Height to 112.5 mm for Compatibility with 6-Axis Stages
- Includes a Jig for Orthogonal Mounting of Multi-Axis Stages
This Additional Translation Axis Stage for 4-Axis MicroBlock Stages adds a third translational adjustment to our MBT401D(/M) or MBT402D(/M) stage, allowing for the precise positioning of components along the system's optical axis. The addition of the fifth axis increases the deck height of the stage to 112.5 mm, providing compatibility with our 6-axis NanoMax stages, and increases the overall width of the stage to 5.72" (145.3 mm).
4-Axis Stages