Large-aperture, low profile, high stiffness – ideal for optics and interferometry

Auburn, MA — PI, a global leader in piezo nanopositioning and precision motion control equipment, announces the S-312 optical phase shifter stage series with five aperture diameters ranging from Ø2" (53mm) to Ø12" (311mm). These U.S.-manufactured piezo stages can be mounted horizontally and vertically and are optimized for optical phase-shifting. Their high-stiffness mechanical design supports sub-nanometer steps with millisecond response times, enabling rapid and repeatable fringe shifting in demanding photonics setups.

Features and Benefits

• Piezo stage for horizontally or vertically mounted optics
• 5 Variants with clear apertures from 53mm (2”) to 311mm (12”)
• Low profile, from 28mm for easy integration
• Tripod piezo design provides stiff platform and Z and Z-Tip-Tilt motion
• Open-loop, analog voltage driven for economical control
• 15µm max displacement at 100V, ~1.5µm at 10V
• Custom versions available, i.e. closed-loop and different form factors

Operation

The S-312 stage family is based on a three-actuator piezo architecture using long-life PICMA® multilayer piezo actuators. In the standard configuration, the actuators are operated in open loop by an external analog piezo amplifier. Depending on the drive configuration, the three actuators can be commanded together for pure piston motion, or driven independently with a 3-channel amplifier to generate combined Z, tip, and tilt motion.  

The analog control concept allows simple integration into optical, metrology, and OEM systems. Each actuator’s displacement is approximately proportional to the applied drive voltage, so the commanded motion can be directly derived from the analog input signal and amplifier gain. For example, with a 0 to 10 V control input and a 0 to 100 V piezo amplifier output, a 10 V input corresponds to approximately full drive voltage. A 1 V input would generate roughly 10% of the available displacement range.

For applications requiring higher accuracy, repeatability, or active position stabilization, custom optical phase-shifter and specific microscope stage configurations can be supplied with integrated position sensors and closed-loop control. These versions allow direct displacement feedback and compensate for piezo nonlinearity, hysteresis, and drift. 

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The platform can also be adapted to different mechanical envelopes, mounting interfaces, optical apertures, and system-level integration requirements. A 0.5 m cable is standard, with connectorized or pigtail configurations available to support both laboratory setups and embedded OEM designs.     In addition to optical phase shifting, piezo stage designs are also used in optical tweezer and trapping applications. 

Controller
PI’s compact E-836 piezo amplifier optimizes the S-312 stages performance as a cost-effective, low-noise module with a gain factor of 10 and an output voltage range from –30 V to +130 V. While delivering stability and responsiveness, this amplifier features short-circuit protection along with full overcurrent and overtemperature safeguards, ensuring reliable, long-term operation even under challenging conditions.

Industries Served
Optics, interferometry, metrology, microscopy, imaging, photonics, astronomy, imaging

Download the S-312 Piezo Phase Shifter Datasheet