A laser based fiducial line for high precision multipoint alignment system

Abstract

The next generation of linear colliders is very demanding concerning the alignment tolerances of their components. For the CLIC project, the reference axis of the components will have to be pre-aligned within 10 μm at 1 sigma with respect to a straight line in a sliding window of 200 m. A solution based on stretched wires with wire positioning sensors has been proposed in order to fulfill the alignment requirements in the Conceptual Design Report of the project. This solution has some drawbacks and laser based alternative solutions are under study in order to validate the wire solution and possibly replace it. A new proposal is introduced in this paper, using a laser beam over 150 m as a straight alignment reference, with the objective of having an uncertainty in the determination of its straightness within 10 μm. Sensors coupled to the components to be aligned, would provide after calibration the horizontal and vertical offsets with respect to the laser beam, within a few micrometers, in their coordinate system. The method is based on the laser beam space stabilization effect when a beam propagates in atmospheric air inside a pipe with standing acoustic wave. The principal schemes of corresponding optoelectronics devices and temperature stabilization solutions are also proposed, making probable the extension of the laser fiducial line up to a 500 m length.