attoPUBLICATIONS attoCATALOG-2015/16 | Page 205

Selected Measurements highest precision in environmental conditions true value (compensation) measured value w/o (compensation) constant environmental conditions constant working distance Displacement measurements as performed at constant sensor/target separation in variable pressure conditions (left) and at variable sensor/target separation in constant environmental conditions (right). The left plot shows the apparent position change upon pressure variation (uncompensated 100 ppm, compensated 1 ppm). The right plot shows the displacement sensing error of 194 µm over 90 cm travel range (uncompensated) vs <1 µm (compensated). Environmental compensation (optional) Any interferometric device operated in environmental conditions is negatively influenced by index of refraction fluctuations, caused by air temperature, pressure, and humidity variation. The influence of these parameters is significant and can reach deviations in measurement of up to 500 ppm, equivalent to a deviation of 500 µm per meter. To compensate these errors, attocube offers an environmental compensation unit (ECU) which precisely measures environmental parameters and determines the actual index of refraction n(t). This measurement allows to compensate environmental influences down to better 1 ppm and enables highly precise, accurate measurements in air. (attocube applications labs, 2014) attoSENSORICS Ultra Precision Sensors FPS Sensor Systems PAGE 203