We have purposely included many demos on this site that don’t require traditional optical lab equipment, but many (particularly more complex ones) do. A well-equipped optics lab almost always contains thousands of dollars of optomechanics: the breadboards, posts, mounts, and many other helpful components that allow optics to be rigidly mounted and fine-tuned into perfect alignment. However, the high cost makes many of these components inaccessible to all but the most well-funded groups and organizations. On this page we discuss which optomechanics have affordable DIY alternatives and which we think are worth buying.
01
Summary
| Item | Off-the-shelf cost | DIY cost / required tools | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Optical breadboards | $200–$1000 | $10–$200; quality improves with more tools, supplies and effort | Off-the-shelf options are so expensive that DIY is often worth it, but off-the-shelf is super nice |
| Fixed lens holders | $15–$30 | <$1 with a 3D printer | DIY is a bit bulkier and must use a clamp instead of a retaining ring design, but is functionally almost identical |
| Irises | $60–75 | <$1 with a 3D printer | Simple 3D printed holes can perform the same function for many alignment purposes, but the adjustable size of irises is sometimes useful |
| Viewing screens | $30 | $0–5; a 3D printer allows for really nice solutions | Do not buy this. The plastic Thorlabs screens we have used have been WORSE than a cheap DIY solution |
| Kinematic tip/tilt mounts | $45 | Untested | Thorlabs is not too expensive for what you get, so we’ve always bought these |
| Posts | $5 | Untested | Hard to DIY out of metal, and doesn’t work well as plastic |
| Post holders | $10–15 | Untested: <$1 with a 3D printer | DIY holder is aight; the $3 knob is absolutely worth buying if you DIY |
| Bases | $5–10 | Untested: <$1 with a 3D printer | A 3D printed solution seems like it’d be just as good as off-the-shelf aluminum |
| Base clamps | $5–10: old style vs pedestal fork style | Untested: <$1 with a 3D printer | You will likely sacrifice a lot of security/ability to really tighten things down if this is plastic, but DIY could work if necessary |
02
More details
This page is a work in progress. More details coming in the future!