Optical Mirror Mount Guide

Overview

Learn how to quickly select the right optical mirror mount for your application. Also discover how various mirror mount types work along with the different optical mount options available.

Mirror Mount Degrees of Freedom
An optical mirror mount generally consists of a movable front plate which holds the mirror, and a fixed back plate with adjustment screws. Adjustment screws drive the front plate about the axes of rotation in the pitch (vertical) and yaw (horizontal) directions. An optional third actuator often enables z-axis translation.

Summary of Options

The following table provides a quick snapshot of your main options for selecting a mirror mount.

Mirror Diameters & Shapes ø0.5 in., ø0.75 in., ø1.0 in., ø30 mm, ø1.5 in., ø2.0 in., ø3.0 in., ø4.0 in., ø6.0 in., ø8.0 in., Square, D-Shape
Materials Aluminum, Alloy Steel, Stainless Steel
Configurations Clear Edge, Top Adjust, Gimbal, Flexure, Low Distortion, Platform, Corner, Fixed, Low Outgassing, Industrial
Adjustments θxθy-(Pitch/Yaw), zθxθy-(Pitch/Yaw/Focus), (Mounts without adjusters also available)
Sensitivity (Adjuster TPI) 80-TPI, 100-TPI, 127-TPI, 170-TPI, 254-TPI
Actuator Types Knob, Knob locking, Allen key, Allen key locking, Micrometer, Motor, No Actuator

Mount Configurations

Mirror mounts are configured in several different ways to suite a variety of applications. Below are some of the available options.

Corner Mounts

Corner Mounts

Corner Mounts hold the mirror in a unique corner location to provide both a clearer beam path and enable gimbal movement. To achieve gimbal movement, two adjacent adjustment screws must be actuated the exact same distance

Clear Edge Mounts

Clear Edge Mounts

With the clear edge design, beams can be reflected from one mount to another at smaller incident angles, taking less space. Clear Edge Mounts ideal for creating multiple reflections on Chirped Mirrors to compensate for pulse dispersion effects

Top Adjust Mounts

Top Adjust mirror mounts provide adjustments access above the beam path so your hands never have to cross the beam. This configuration also lends itself for use in compact spaces

Industrial Mounts

Industrial mounts are specifically designed for "Set and Forget" OEM applications. They all have the key features that are required for Industrial Applications: 1) Slim and geometry 2) Hex Key (Knobless) Adjusters 3) Extra Stiff, 4) Optional Locking for added Long term Stability

Gimbal Mounts

A gimbal mount has axes of rotation which intersect at the center surface of the optic. When the mount is adjusted, only the beam's angle changes, not its length. In contrast, a non-gimbal mount will shorten or lengthen a beam path as angle is adjusted

Platform Mounts

Platform mounts have a flat, square, adjustable surface for mounting square optics, prisms, and beamsplitter cubes. One benefit all platform mounts have over aperture mounts is their ability to hold mirrors which are as large as or larger than the actual mount itself.

Flexure Mounts

Flexure mirror mounts are designed for "set and forget" OEM applications. Welded construction, stiff flexure pivots, and precision adjustment screws provide excellent mechanical stability

Low Wavefront Distortion (LWD) Mounts

LWD optical mounts are specifically designed to hold mirrors in a way that will not induce optical distortion. They use an axial three-point mounting method to gently, but securely, hold optics so as not to affect tight flatness tolerances

Optical Mount Stability & Performance

In most applications, mirror mounts have the greatest influence on the stability and performance of an optical system. We use thermal tests to quantify this stability. In our thermal deflection test, the mount's temperature is cycled 10C from ambient and the pitch and yaw movement is recorded.

Mirror Mount Thermal Deflection Test Graph

Two key pieces of test data are drift and shift. Drift is the maximum deflection of the mount over the duration of the test, which usually occurs at maximum temperature. Shift measures how well the mount returns to its original position following the thermal cycle. Newport optical mounts that perform best with the lowest shift and drift deflection include: Suprema® ZeroDrift™ Series, MFM Series Flexure Mounts

Adjustment Sensitivity

Adjustment sensitivity is a calculation of the smallest angular adjustment a mirror mount can make. It is determined by taking the inverse tangent of the adjuster's minimum incremental movement, (MIM), divided by the distance from the rotation axis of the actuator axis (R).

Mirror Mount axis of rotation TPI illustration
Adjustment sensitivity formula
The adjuster's minimum incremental movement is determined primarily by the TPI of the screw. TPI stands for threads per inch and is the number of threads over 1 inch of the screw.
Fine Pitch Adjustment Screw TPI Illustration

The reciprocal of TPI (also called thread pitch) is the axial length of just one thread. Thread pitch also represents how far the adjustment screw will travel with one full rotation of the adjustment knob. For calculating adjustment sensitivity we say that the smallest rotation a person can make on an adjustment knob is 1 degree. Calculating the adjuster's minimum incremental movement is simply the reciprocal of TPI divided by 360.

Fine Pitch Screw TPI illustration

For example, to determine the sensitivity of the Suprema SU100-F2K-254 mirror mount, we first need to get the mounts information:

  • The distance from the rotation axis of the actuator axis: R = 1.5 in
  • The threads-per-inch (TPI) value of the adjustment screws: TPI = 254

Next we calculate the minimum incremental movement of the adjustment screw:

Adjustment screw minimum incremental movement formula

Finally, we can now calculate the adjustment sensitivity of the mirror mount:

Adjustment sensitivity formula

Newport mounts with the highest TPI adjusters and, likewise, highest relative adjustment sensitivity include those listed below.

Mounts with 254-TPI Adjusters

SU100-F2K-254 Mirror Mount
SU100-F2K-254
SU100-F3K-254 Mirror Mount
SU100-F3K-254
SN200-F2K-254 Mirror Mount
SN200-F2K-254
SN200-F3K-254 Mirror Mount
SN200-F3K-254

Mounts with 170-TPI Adjusters

U100-A2K-170N Mirror Mount
U100-A2K-170N
U100-A3K-170N Mirror Mount
U100-A3K-170N

Mirror Mount Actuator Lock Types

Mirror Mount with jam nut actuator lock type Mirror Mount with jam nut actuator lock type Mirror Mount with set screw actuator lock type Mirror Mount with set screw actuator lock type
Jam Nut Lock Set Screw Lock
Key Benefits
Exerts an axial force on the screw to prevent rotation. The jam nut lock with this design can be retrofitted onto the mount and can be tightened by hand or hex-key.		 Key Benefits
Exerts a radial force against the screw to prevent rotation. The locking mechanism for this type of mount is space saving and compact.
Example Mounts
SS050-F3

Model: SS050-F3

Mirror Mount, Suprema®, 0.5 in., (3) 100-TPI Locking Allen-Key Actuators

$166
In Stock
Product Series Overview
Suprema® Hex-Driven Mirror Mounts
, SS100-F2H

Model: SS100-F2H

Mirror Mount, Suprema®, 1.0 in, (2) 100-TPI Locking Hex-Broach Actuators

$170
In Stock
Product Series Overview
Suprema® Hex-Driven Mirror Mounts
, SC100-F3H

Model: SC100-F3H

Mirror Mount, Suprema®, Clear Edge, 1.0 in., (3) 100-TPI Locking Hex

$185
In Stock
Product Series Overview
Suprema® Hex-Driven Clear Edge Mirror Mounts
Example Mounts
9807-L

Model: 9807-L

Mirror Mount, Classic, Center, 1.0 in., 3 Locking Allen-Keys

$230
In Stock
Product Series Overview
New Focus Hex-Driven Mirror Mounts
, 9888-K

Model: 9888-K

Mirror Mount, Pint-Sized, Commercial, Corner, 1.0 in., 2 Allen-Keys

$151
In Stock
Product Series Overview
New Focus Hex-Driven Corner Mirror Mounts
, HVM-.5

Model: HVM-.5

Kinematic Mirror Mount, Vertical Drive, 0.5 in., (2) 100-TPI Allen-Keys

$182
In Stock
Product Series Overview
Standard Top Adjust Mounts
, HVM-1

Model: HVM-1

Kinematic Mirror Mount, Vertical Drive, 1.0 in., (2) 80-TPI Knob Adjusters

$196
In Stock
Product Series Overview
Standard Top Adjust Mounts
Mirror-Mount-wFlexure-Lock-Type Mirror-Mount-wFlexure-Lock-Type Mirror-Mount-wFlexure-Lock-Type Mirror-Mount-wLever-Lock-Type
Flexure Lock Lever Lock
Key Benefits
Exerts a tangental force on the screw to prevent rotation. Both adjustment and locking actions are accomplished using a single tool from the same side of the mount.		 Key Benefits
Exerts a tangental force on the screw to prevent rotation. Both adjustment and locking actions are accomplished using a single tool from the same side of the mount.
Example Mounts
SN100C-F2H

Model: SN100C-F2H

Mirror Mount, Suprema®, Clear Edge, 1.0 in., (2) 127-TPI Locking Hex Key

$184
In Stock
Product Series Overview
Suprema® Hex-Driven Clear Edge Mirror Mounts
, U100-A2H

Model: U100-A2H

Mirror Mount, ULTIMA®, Clear Edge, 1.0 in., 2 Locking Allen-Keys

$151
In Stock
Product Series Overview
ULTIMA® Hex-Driven Clear Edge Mirror Mounts
, P100-AI21

Model: P100-AI21

Mirror Mount, PERFORMA-i, 1.0 in., 100 TPI, 2 Locking Allen-Keys

$117
In Stock
Product Series Overview
Performa-i Hex-Driven Mirror Mounts
, P100-PI21

Model: P100-PI21

Platform Optical Mount, PERFORMA-I, 2 x 2 in., 100 TPI, 2 Allen-Key

$132
In Stock
Product Series Overview
Hex-Driven Platform Mirror Mounts
, HVM-1i

Model: HVM-1i

Mirror Mount, Industrial, Vertical Drive, 1 in., 2 Locking Allen-Keys, 8-32

$199
In Stock
Product Series Overview
Industrial Top Adjust Mounts
, HVM-2t

Model: HVM-2t

Mirror Mount, Industrial, Vertical Drive, Thin Optic, 2 in., 2 Locking Allen-Keys

$266
In Stock
Product Series Overview
Industrial Top Adjust Mounts
Example Mounts
M05-XL

Model: M05-XL

Mirror Mount, 0.5 in., Keying Pin Holes, 3 Locking Hex Actuators

$82
In Stock
Product Series Overview
M Series Hex-Driven Mirror Mounts
, HVM-05i

Model: HVM-05i

Mirror Mount, Industrial, Vertical Drive, 0.5 in., 2 Locking Allen-Keys

$209
In Stock
Product Series Overview
Industrial Top Adjust Mounts
, HVM-S1i

Model: HVM-S1i

Mirror Mount, Industrial, Vertical Drive, 1 in., 2 Locking Allen-Keys

$230
In Stock
Product Series Overview
Industrial Top Adjust Mounts

Mirror Mount Materials

Mirror mounts are typically made exclusively from aluminum or stainless steel. Generally speaking, aluminum mounts are less expensive and stainless steel mounts are more stable. Below are a few characteristics and benefits of each material type:

Aluminum Stainless Steel Advantages
Stiffness 69 Gpa 200 Gpa Stainless steel mounts are stiffer and easier to align.
Thermal Expansion 22 µm/mK 16 µm/mK Stainless steel mounts have lower CTE and lower drift.
Density 2700 kg/m³ 7500 kg/m³ Aluminum mounts have lower density and weight less.
Relative Machinability / Cost LOW HIGH Mounts made with Aluminum are easier to machine thus costing less to manufacture.
Thermal Conductivity 205 W/mK 16 W/mK Aluminum mounts have higher thermal conductivity and stabilize faster.

Recommended Optical Mirror Mounts

Ultima Clear Edge Mirror Mounts
Most Popular		 Suprema ZeroDrift Mirror Mounts
Most Stable		 Standard Aluminum Mirror Mounts
Most Value
ULTIMA® U100-A2K Mirror Mounts (U100-A2K, U100-A3K) are a longstanding customer favorite. Their full-featured design combines excellent stability and a competitive value. Engineered with thermal drift compensation built-in, Suprema® ZeroDrift™ Series Mounts reduce mechanical drift by 85% compared with standard stainless steel mounts. Priced 15-20% less than competing mounts, Newport's M Series Mounts (M05, M1, M1Q) are the industry's most cost effective. Save an additional 10% off individual prices with convenient 10-packs.

Recommended Optical Mirror Mount Categories

Standard Aluminum Mirror Mounts

Standard Aluminum Mirror Mounts

Performance Aluminum Mirror Mounts

Performance Aluminum Mirror Mounts

Suprema® Stainless Steel Mirror Mounts

Suprema® Stainless Steel Mirror Mounts

Industrial Mirror Mounts

Flexure Mirror Mounts

Gimbal Mirror Mounts

Gimbal Mirror Mounts

Top Adjust Mirror Mounts

Top Adjust Mirror Mounts

Specialty Mirror Mounts

Platform Mirror Mounts

Corner Mirror Mounts

Corner Mirror Mounts