Smaller squiggles

New Scale Technologies has created a custom cryogenic version of its tiny SQL Series piezoelectric Squiggle motor. The custom SQL-3.4-cryo operates continuously from room temperature to cryogenic temperatures (77 Kelvins and below).

At only 3.4 x 3.4 x 10 mm, the custom SQL-3.4-cryo is one fourth the size of the company’s SQ-100-C cryogenic Squiggle motor, commonly used in laboratory applications.

The smaller SQL-3.4-cryo motor was created for applications such as portable sensors, where system miniaturisation is desired. It is currently used to align cooled optics at 100 Kelvins in a cryogenic sensor developed for a military customer.

Cooled optics greatly improve image quality for cryogenic sensor applications such as hyperspectral imaging. Until now, the alignment of cooled optics has been an hours-long process requiring the operator to align the optics at room temperature, cool the sensor, test the alignment, note corrections, bring the sensor to room temperature, make adjustments, and repeat. The Squiggle motor completely eliminates this time-consuming process by allowing precise, active alignment of the optics at any temperature.