Abstract:
A mount for an optical component is disclosed that provides the flexibility of independently adjusting the position and orientation of the optical component along and about one or more axes. In an exemplary embodiment, the mount includes a support element for supporting the optical component; one or more rotational adjustment elements for rotating said support element independently about one or more axes, respectively; and one or more linear adjustment elements for moving said support element independently along one or more axes. The adjustment elements may be manually adjustable and/or may be adjustable by an actuator. In the latter case, the actuator may be electronically controlled by a controller. The optical component may be a reflective, transmissive, or reflective/transmissive optical device, such as diffraction gratings, mirrors, beam splitters, and others.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLICATION 
   This application claims the benefit of Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/837,522 filed on Aug. 14, 2006, which is herein incorporated by reference. 

   BACKGROUND 
   Optical systems typically comprise a plurality of components including laser sources, mirrors, diffraction gratings, beam splitters, and other optical components. The position and orientation of the optical components relative to each other generally require careful consideration in order to implement the desired functionality of the system. Since the wavelength of light emissions is relatively small (e.g., in the nanometer range), the position and orientation of the optical components generally require substantial precision. 
   In the past, optical systems included custom-made mounts for supporting individual optical components. These custom-made mounts only provided support for the optical components. Generally, the entire mount would have to be manually moved in order to properly position and orientate the optical component to achieve the desired functionality. Because the wavelength of light emissions is relatively small, proper positioning and orientation of optical components would typically be time-consuming, inaccurate, and not very repeatable. 
   SUMMARY 
   An aspect of the invention relates to a mount for an optical component that provides the flexibility of independently adjusting the position and orientation of the optical component along and about one or more axes. In an exemplary embodiment, the mount comprises a support element for supporting the optical component; one or more rotational adjustment elements for rotating said support element independently about one or more axes, respectively; and one or more linear adjustment elements for moving said support element independently along one or more axes, respectively. The adjustment elements may be manually adjustable and/or may be adjustable by an actuator. In the latter case, the actuator may be electronically controlled by a controller. The optical component may be a reflective, transmissive, or reflective/transmissive optical device, such as diffraction gratings, mirrors, beam splitters, and others. 
   In a more specific embodiment, the mount comprises a support element for supporting the optical component; a first adjustment element for moving the support element only along a first axis; a second adjustment element for rotating the support element only about the first axis; and a third adjustment element for rotating the support element only about a second axis that is substantially orthogonal to the first axis. The mount may further comprise a fourth adjustment element for adjusting the rotation of the support element about a third axis that is substantially orthogonal to the first and second axes. The mount may additionally comprise fifth and/or sixth adjustment elements for independently moving the support element along the second and third axes, respectively. The adjustment elements may include locks for fixing the position and orientation of the support element in selected positions and orientations. The adjustment elements may be controlled manually or by an actuator. 
   Yet another aspect of the invention relates to an optical control system, comprising a mount, a controller, and a plurality of actuators. The mount, in turn, comprises a support for an optical component; and one or more rotational adjustment elements for independently rotating the support about one or more axes; and one or more linear adjustment elements for independently moving the support along one or more axes. The optical control system includes one or more actuators for actuating the one or more rotational adjustment elements; and one or more actuators for actuating the one or more linear adjustment elements. The controller controls the actuators in actuating the rotational and linear adjustment elements to orientate and position the optical component. 
   Other aspects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a front perspective view of an exemplary mount for an optical component in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a rear perspective view of an exemplary mount for an optical component in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a front perspective view of an exemplary mount supporting an optical component in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 4  illustrates an exploded perspective view of an exemplary mount for an optical component in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 5  illustrates a side sectional view of a portion of an exemplary mount for an optical component in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a rear partial transparent view of a portion of an exemplary mount for an optical component in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 7  illustrates a rear partial transparent view of a portion of an exemplary mount for an optical component in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 8  illustrates a rear view of a portion of an exemplary mount for an optical component in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 9  illustrates a side view of a portion of an exemplary mount for an optical component in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 10  illustrates a rear perspective view of a portion of an exemplary mount for an optical component in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 11  illustrates a rear perspective view of a portion of an exemplary mount for an optical component in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 12  illustrates an internal view of a portion of an exemplary mount for an optical component in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
       FIGS. 13A-B  illustrate perspective and side views of the exemplary base in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
       FIGS. 14A-B  illustrate bottom and top perspective views of the exemplary slider in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
       FIGS. 15A-B  illustrate rear and front perspective views of the exemplary bridge assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
       FIGS. 16A-C  illustrate a pair of front perspective views and a rear perspective view of the exemplary pivoting member in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
       FIGS. 17A-B  illustrate front and rear perspective views of the exemplary rolling member in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
       FIGS. 18A-B  illustrate perspective views of the exemplary upper and lower support members of the exemplary support assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; and 
       FIG. 19  illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary optical control system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     FIGS. 1-2  illustrate front and rear perspective views of an exemplary mount  100  for an optical component in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The mount  100  provides for independent position adjustment of the mounted optical component along one or more linear axes. In addition, the mount  100  provides for independent orientation adjustment about one or more rotational axes. The position and orientation adjustments may be made manually and/or by actuator control, as discussed in more detail below. The exemplary mount  100  is able to support and adjust the position and orientation of a wide variety of optical components, such as diffraction gratings, mirrors, beam splitters, reflective components, transmissive components, and others. 
   In particular, the exemplary mount  100  comprises seven (7) primary assemblies. These assemblies are a rotatable stage  200 , a base  300 , a z-axis linear adjustment assembly  400 , a pitch adjustment assembly  500 , a roll adjustment assembly  600 , a support assembly  700  for the optical component, and a bridge assembly  800 . The rotatable stage  200  provides for the rotation of the optical component about a y-axis. The base  300  mechanically couples the top assemblies  500 ,  600 ,  700 , and  800  to the rotatable stage  200  such that rotation of the stage  200  produces rotation of these assemblies including the optical component. 
   The z-axis adjustment assembly  400  slides along a channel formed through the base  300  to provide z-axis position adjustment of the optical component. The pitch adjustment assembly  500  is pivotally coupled to the bridge assembly  800  to provide rotational adjustment of the optical component about the x-axis. The roll adjustment assembly  600  is pivotally coupled to the pitch adjustment assembly  500  to provide rotational adjustment of the optical component about the z-axis. The support assembly  700  securely supports the optical component in a vertical orientation. The bridge assembly  800  mechanically couples the z-axis adjustment assembly  400  to the pitch and roll adjustment assemblies  500  and  600  such that movement of the z-axis adjustment assembly  400  along the z-axis produces movement of the pitch and roll adjustment assemblies  500  and  600  along the z-axis. 
   More specifically, the rotatable stage  200  comprises a fixed lower portion  205 , a rotatable middle portion  210  and an rotatable upper portion  250 . The fixed lower portion  205  comprises a plurality of submounts  207  (e.g., donut-shaped submounts) for securely attaching the mount  100  to a fixed surface. In this example, the submounts  207  are equally spaced around the circumference of the fixed lower portion  205  of the rotatable stage  200 . The rotatable middle portion  210  of the rotatable stage  200  comprises a rotation lock  214  for selectively locking the rotation of the rotatable middle portion  210  with respect to the fixed lower portion  205 . The rotatable middle portion  210  further comprises a fine coarse adjustment  216  for adjusting the rotation of the rotatable upper portion  250  by relatively small angular distances with respect to the middle portion  210 . The fine coarse adjustment  216  comprises an adjustment knob  218  and a lock  220  for selectively locking the adjustment knob  218 ; and effectively locking the rotation of the rotatable upper portion  250  with respect to the middle portion  210 . The middle and/or upper portions  210  and  250  of the rotatable stage  200  may include indicia (not shown) of a measurement scale to assist the user in setting the proper orientation for the optical component. 
   The base  300  is securely attached to the rotatable upper portion  250  of the rotatable stage  200  by one or more securing devices, such as screws  352 . The base  300  may be manually rotatable to change the orientation of the optical component, or may be rotated by an actuator which may be controlled by a controller, such as a computer, microcontroller, microprocessor, etc. As previously discussed, the base  300  comprises a channel  354  elongated in the z-axis direction which guides the movement of the z-axis adjustment assembly  400  along the z-axis direction. The base  300  may further include a lock  356  for selectively locking the movement of the z-axis adjustment assembly  400 . 
   The z-axis adjustment assembly  400  comprises an elongated slider  402  situated longitudinally within the channel  354  of the base  300 . The z-axis adjustment assembly  400  further comprises a z-axis adjustment device  404  for adjusting the position of the optical component along the z-axis direction. In this example, the z-axis adjustment device  404  comprises a knob  406  attached to (or integral with) a fine threaded screw  408  that threads with a corresponding threaded bore of the bridge assembly  800 . The screw  408  includes an end that abuts a side of the base  300 . The z-axis adjustment assembly  400  further includes a spring (not shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ) that biases the base  300  against the end of the screw  408 . When the knob  406  is turned in a clockwise direction, the threaded bore of the bridge assembly  800  moves in the negative z-direction, causing the slider  402  to move in the negative z-direction. When the knob  406  is turned in the counterclockwise direction, the threaded bore of the bridge assembly  800  moves in the positive z-direction, causing the slider  402  to move in the positive z-direction. The z-axis adjustment device  404  may be removable and replaced with an actuator arm for electronically adjusting the z-axis position of the slider  402 ; and ultimately, the z-axis position of the optical component. 
   The pivot adjustment assembly  500  comprises a pivoting member  502  that is pivotally coupled to an upper portion of the bridge assembly  800 . The pivot adjustment assembly  500  further comprises a pivot adjustment device  504  for adjusting the pivot orientation of the pivoting member  502 . In this example, the pivot adjustment device  504  comprises a knob  506  attached to (or integral with) a fine threaded screw  508  that threads with a corresponding threaded bore of the bridge assembly  800 . The screw  508  includes an end that abuts a lower portion of the pivoting member  502 . The pivot adjustment assembly  500  further includes a spring (not shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ) that biases the lower portion of pivoting member  502  against the end of the screw  508 . Thus, when the knob  506  is turned in a clockwise direction, the screw  508  moves in the positive z-direction, and consequently forces the pivoting member  502  to pivot in a counterclockwise direction (from the perspective of  FIG. 1 ) against the biasing force of the spring. When the knob  506  is turned in the counterclockwise direction, the screw  508  moves in the negative z-direction, and the biasing force of the spring forces the pivoting member  502  to pivot in the clockwise direction (from the perspective of  FIG. 1 ). The pivot adjustment device  504  may be removable and replaced with an actuator arm for electronically adjusting the pivot orientation of the pivoting member  502 ; and ultimately, the pivot orientation of the optical component. 
   The roll adjustment assembly  600  comprises a rolling member  602  that is rotationally coupled to the pivoting member  502  of the pivot adjustment assembly  500 . The roll adjustment assembly  600  further comprises a roll adjustment device  604  for adjusting the roll orientation of the rolling member  602 . In this example, the roll adjustment device  604  comprises a knob  606  attached to (or integral with) a fine threaded screw  608  that threads with a corresponding threaded bore of the pivot adjustment assembly  500 . The screw  608  includes an end that abuts a post (not shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ) attached to an upper portion of the rolling member  602 . The post extends longitudinally towards the negative z-direction from the rolling member  602 . The pivot adjustment assembly  600  further includes a spring (not shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ) that biases the post of the rolling member  602  against the end of the screw  608 . Thus, when the knob  606  is turned in a clockwise direction, the screw  608  moves in the positive x-direction, and consequently forces the rolling member  602  to roll in a clockwise direction (from the perspective of  FIG. 1 ) against the biasing force of the spring. When the knob  606  is turned in the counterclockwise direction, the screw  608  moves in the negative z-direction, and the biasing force of the spring forces the rolling member  602  to pivot in a counterclockwise direction (from the perspective of  FIG. 1 ). The adjustment device  604  may be removable and replaced with an actuator arm for electronically adjusting the roll orientation of the rolling member  602 ; and ultimately, the roll orientation of the optical component. 
   The support assembly  700  for the optical component comprises an upper support member  710  and a lower support member  750 . The upper support member  710  is attached to an upper portion of the rolling member  602  by one or more fasteners, such as screws  712 . Similarly, the lower support member  750  is attached to a lower portion of the rolling member  602  by one or more fasteners, such as screws  752 . The rolling member  602  may include a plurality of threaded holes  610  configured to thread with the screws  712  and  752  for securing the upper and lower support members  710  and  750  of the support assembly  700  to the rolling member  602 . The sets of holes  610  may be vertically spaced apart along the rolling member  602  to accommodate different vertical positions for the upper and lower support members  710  and  750  of the support assembly  700 . This allows the mount  100  to accommodate different sized optical components. The lower support member  750  may further respectively comprise one or more pads  754  to provide a cushion contact of the lower support member  750  to the optical component. 
   As shown in  FIG. 3 , the optical component  900  is sandwiched between the upper and lower support members  710  and  750  of the support assembly  700 . As previously discussed, the optical component may comprise a wide variety of optical components, such as diffraction gratings, mirrors, beam splitters, reflective components, transmissive components, and others. The support assembly  700  further includes one or more screws  716 , such as nylon screws or other devices, for securing the optical component to the support assembly  700 . 
   As discussed, the mount  100  provides for independent position and orientation adjustment of the mounted optical component  900  along one or more linear and rotational axes. For instance, the mount  100  includes a z-axis adjustment assembly  400  for independently adjusting the z-axis position of the optical component. Although, in this example, the mount  100  includes an adjustment assembly for one linear direction, the mount  100  may include adjustment assemblies for linear directions, such as in the x- and y-directions. The mount  100  further includes three (3) independent rotational adjustment assemblies, such as the rotational stage  200 , the pivot adjustment assembly  500 , and the roll adjustment assembly  600 . These features make the mount  100  versatile in positioning and orienting an optical component in an optical system. 
     FIG. 4  illustrates an exploded perspective view of the exemplary mount  100  in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. As previously discussed, the exemplary mount  100  comprises seven (7) primary assemblies. These assemblies are the rotatable stage  200 , the base  300 , the z-axis linear adjustment assembly  400 , the pitch adjustment assembly  500 , the roll adjustment assembly  600 , the support assembly  700  for the optical component, and the bridge assembly  800 . This exploded diagram of the exemplary mount  100  illustrates more components of these assemblies as discussed below. 
   As previously discussed, the rotatable stage  200  comprises the lower fixed portion  205  including the submounts  207 , and the rotatable middle portion  210  including the rotation lock  214 , and the fine coarse adjustment  216 . Also, as previously discussed, the rotatable stage  200  comprises the upper rotatable portion  250 . As shown, the upper rotatable portion  250  includes a plurality of threaded holes  252  to thread with corresponding screws  352  in order to secure the base  300  to the upper rotatable portion  250  of the stage  200 . 
   As previously discussed, the base  300  comprises the screws  352  situated within corresponding countersunk thru-holes  356  for securing the base  300  to the upper rotatable portion  250  of the stage  200 . The base  300  further comprises the channel  354  which guides the z-axis movement of the slider  402  of the z-axis adjustment assembly  400 , and the lock  356  comprising a locking screw  356   a , a dowel  356   b , and a thru-hole  356   c  formed on the side of the base  300 . Additionally, the base  300  comprises an elongated rigid guide rail  358  situated longitudinally on one side of the channel  354 , and an elongated resilient guide rail  360  situated longitudinally on the opposite side of the channel  354 . The lock  356  prevents the movement of the slider  402  by the dowel  356   b , being urged by the screw  356   a  into the thru-hole  356   c , exerting a lateral force against the elongated resilient guide rail  360 , which, in turn, exerts a frictional force on the slider  402 . 
   The base  300  further comprises a lateral spring force device  362  comprising four (4) sets of screws  362   a  laterally securing corresponding springs  362   b  within corresponding thru-holes  362   c . The ends of the springs  362   b  abut the elongated resilient guide rail  360 . The springs  362   b  absorb lateral forces against the slider  402  by way of the elongated resilient guide rail  360 . 
   The base  300  further comprises an elongated slot  364  situated longitudinally within the channel  354  for housing therein the spring  412  that biases the base  300  against the end of the screw  408  of the z-axis adjustment assembly  400 . A pin  414  secures an end of the spring  412  to the base  300  within the elongated slot  364 . The base  300  further comprises a stop  366  to prevent the movement of the slider  402  along the negative z-axis direction beyond a particular location. The stop  366  is in the form of a raised flat protrusion which slides within a corresponding groove (not shown in  FIG. 4 ) on the bottom of the slider  402 . The base  300  further comprises a hole  368  to receive a pad  360  at an end portion of the channel  354 . The pad  370  cushions the end of the screw  408  during operation. The base  300  may further comprise an adhesive label  372  to indicate manufacturer, product information, and other information. The label  372  may be attached to the side of the base  300 . 
   As previously discussed, the z-axis adjustment assembly  400  comprises the slider  402 , and the z-axis adjustment device  404  including the knob  406  and the screw  408 . The slider  402  further comprises on both sides elongated grooves  410  that respectively mate with the elongated rigid and resilient guide rails  358  and  360  of the base  300 . The slide  402  further comprises one or more threaded holes  412  that threads with threaded bolts  802  for securing the bridge assembly  800  to the slider  402 . The slider  402  further comprises a thru-hole  418  to allow access to the corresponding screw  352  that secures the base  300  to the upper rotatable portion  250  of the stage  200 . The z-axis adjustment assembly  400  further comprises a pin  416  coupled to the other end of the spring  412 , and securely situated within a catch  816  formed on the rear side of the bridge assembly  800 . 
   As previously discussed, the pivot adjustment assembly  500  comprises the pivoting member  502 , and the pivot adjustment device  504  including the knob  506  and the screw  508 . Additionally, the pivot adjustment assembly  500  comprises a spring  510  that biases the pivoting member  502  against the bridge assembly  800 . The spring  510  is held at one end by a pin  512  situated within a catch  818  formed on the rear side of the bridge assembly  800 . The spring  508  is held at the other end by a pin  514  situated within a catch formed on the front side of the rolling member  602 . The pivot adjustment assembly  500  further comprises a pair of grooves  516  that respectively receive a pair of pivot balls  826  from the bridge assembly  800 . A pad  522  may be provided between one or both of the balls  826  and the corresponding groove  516  to improve the interface thereof. 
   The axis of rotation of the pivoting member  502  coincides substantially with the centers of the pivot balls  826 . The pivot adjustment assembly  500  further comprises a pair of vertically-oriented pins  518  securely situated within corresponding vertically-oriented grooves  520  formed on the rear side of the pivot member  502 . The end of the screw  508  of the pivot adjustment device  504  is situated between the grooves  520 , and slides vertically along the pins  518  as the pivoting member  502  pivots. The pivoting member  502  further includes a thru-hole  524  through which the spring  510  extends from the bridge assembly  800  to the roll adjustment assembly  600 . The pivot adjustment assembly  500  further comprises a hole  528  to receive a threaded bore  526  which, in turn, threads with the screw  608  of the roll adjustment device  604  for the roll adjustment assembly  600 . A screw  530  is provided to secure the threaded bore  526  onto the pivoting member  502 . 
   As previously discussed, the roll adjustment assembly  600  comprises the rolling member  602  including sets of threaded holes  610  for securing the upper and lower support members  710  and  750  of the optical component support  700  to the rolling member  602 . Also, as previously discussed, the roll adjustment assembly  600  comprises the roll adjustment device  604  including the knob  606  and screw  608 . The roll adjustment assembly  600  further comprises a cylindrical guide  612  situated on the rear side of the rolling member, which mates with a lubricated countersunk hole formed on the front side of the pivoting member  502 . The cylindrical guide  612  includes a centralized hole  614  through which the spring  510  extends to the catch for the securing pin  514  of the spring  510 . The cylindrical guide  612  further includes a plurality of pads  616  for improving the interface of the cylindrical guide  612  to the countersunk hole of the pivoting member  502 . Along a particular side of the cylindrical guide  612  are a plurality of holes  618  that receive respective springs  620  and ball bearings  622  to form a resilient fit of the cylindrical guide  612  into the countersunk hole of the pivoting member  502 . 
   The roll adjustment assembly  600  further comprises a post  624  that extends in the negative z-axis direction from the rear side of the rolling member  602 . The post  624  includes a flat portion that abuts the end of the screw  608  of the roll adjustment device  604 . The clockwise turning of the screw  608  causes its end to push against the post  624  to cause the rolling member  602  to roll in a particular direction. The roll adjustment assembly  600  also comprises a catch  626  to receive a securing pin  628  that secures an end of a spring  630  to the catch  626 . The other end of the spring  630  is secured to the pivoting member  502  with a securing pin  632 . Thus, when the screw  608  of the roll adjustment device  604  is turned in the counterclockwise direction, the biasing force of the spring  630  causes the rolling member  602  to roll in the other direction. 
   Most of the components of the support assembly  700  for the optical component have already been discussed. The support assembly  700  may further include a plurality of pins  718  situated within respective opposed holes of the upper and lower members  710  and  750  and the front side of the rolling member  602 . The pins  718  assist in horizontally orienting the upper and lower members  710  and  750  to the rolling member  602 . 
   As previously discussed, the bridge assembly  800  comprises a plurality of thru-holes to assist in operationally securing the z-axis adjustment assembly  400 , the pivot adjustment assembly  500 , and the roll adjustment assembly  600  together. For instance, the bridge assembly  800  includes thru-holes  822  through which the screws  802  extend for securing the slider  402  to the bridge assembly  800 . The bridge assembly  800  further includes thru-hole  820  to receive the threaded bore  804  which threads with the screw  408  of the z-axis adjustment device  404  of the z-axis adjustment assembly  400 . The bridge assembly  800  further includes thru-hole  824  to receive the threaded bore  806  which threads with the screw  508  of the pivot adjustment device  504  of the pivot adjustment assembly  400 . The bridge assembly  800  includes catches  816  and  818  for the securing pins  416  and  512  for the springs  412  and  510 , respectively. The bridge assembly  800  includes holes  812  and  814  for receiving screws  808  and  810  for securing the threaded bores  804  and  806  to the bridge assembly  800 . The bridge assembly  800  includes a rolling pin  830  having a threaded hole  832  that threads with the screw  810  for securing the threaded bore  806  to the bridge assembly  800 . 
     FIG. 5  illustrates a side sectional view of a portion of the exemplary mount  100  for an optical component in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. As shown, the screw  408  of the adjustment device  404  for the z-axis adjustment assembly  400  includes a steel ball  409  that abuts the pad  370  of the base  300 . Also, the screw  508  of the adjustment device  504  for the pivot adjustment assembly  500  includes a steel ball  509  that slides between the pair of pins  518  of the pivot adjustment assembly  500 . The screw  608  of the adjustment device  604  for the roll adjustment assembly  600  includes a steel ball (not shown) that abuts a flat portion of the post  624 . Additionally, as shown, the end of the nylon screw  716  applies downward pressure to securely hold the optical component  900  between the upper and lower members  710  and  750  of the support assembly  700 . 
     FIG. 6  illustrates a rear partial transparent view of a portion of the exemplary mount  100  for an optical component in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. As shown, the pivot adjustment assembly  600  includes an interchangeable collet  527  around the threaded bore  526  which threads with the screw  608  of the adjustment device  604  of the roll adjustment assembly  600 . Also, as shown, the pivot balls  826  and corresponding grooves  516  form a kinematic arrangement. Also, the steel ball  509  at the end of the pivot adjustment screw  508  situated between the pins  518  also forms a kinematic arrangement. There are other ways to form kinematic arrangements to facilitate the pivoting of the pivoting member  502 . As previously discussed, the holes  618  at the sides of the cylindrical guide  612  respectively receive the springs  620  and steel balls  622  to provide a radial biasing load. 
     FIG. 7  illustrates a rear partial transparent view of a portion of the exemplary mount  100  for an optical component in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. As shown, the bridge assembly  800  includes an interchangeable collet  807  around the threaded bore  806  which threads with the screw  508  of the adjustment device  504  of the pivot adjustment assembly  500 . As previously discussed, the cylindrical guide  612  includes a plurality of pads  616  which rides on a bed of lubrication in the countersunk hole of the pivoting member  502 . This facilitates the interface of the cylindrical guide  612  to the countersunk hole. 
     FIG. 8  illustrates a rear view of a portion of the exemplary mount  100  for an optical component in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. As shown, the sets of springs  362   b  and screws  362   a  provide lateral biasing force on the elongated resilient guide rail  360 . Additionally, the dowel  356   b  and corresponding locking screw  356   a  provide a lock to prevent movement of the slider  402  by applying lateral pressure on the elongated resilient guide rail  360 , which, in turn, applies pressure to the slider  402  for frictionally locking the slider  402 . 
     FIG. 9  illustrates a side view of a portion of the exemplary mount  100  for an optical component in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. In this diagram, the pivoting member  502  is shown with about a seven (7) degree downward pitch. 
     FIG. 10  illustrates a rear perspective view of a portion of the exemplary mount  100  for an optical component in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The roll adjustment assembly  600  may further comprise a lock  640  for selectively preventing the movement of the rolling member  602  when set to a desired orientation. In this example, the roll adjustment assembly  600  may include a pair of screws situated in thru-holes at the side of the pivoting member  502 . The ends of the screws apply pressure to the respective sets of springs  626  and steel balls  622  situated within respective holes  618  at the sides of the cylindrical guide  612 . Additionally, the lock  640  may further include a locking screw situated within a threaded thru-hole at the side of the pivoting member  502 . The end of the locking screw is adapted to make frictional contact to the side of the cylindrical guide  612  to lock the rolling member  602  in the selected orientation. 
     FIG. 11  illustrates a rear perspective view of a portion of the exemplary mount  100  for an optical component in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Similar to the locking feature  640  of the roll adjustment assembly  600  previously discussed, the pivot adjustment assembly  500  may also include a lock  530  to selectively prevent the movement of the pivoting member  502  when set to a desired orientation. With reference to  FIG. 12 , the lock  530  comprises a locking set screw  532  situated in a threaded thru-hole at the side of the bridge assembly  800 . The end of the screw  532  makes frictional contact to a flange  534  attached to the rear side of the pivoting member  502 . The frictional contact prevents pivoting of the pivoting member  502 ; thereby locking the member in the selected orientation. 
     FIGS. 13A-B  illustrate perspective and side views of the exemplary base  300  in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. As previously discussed in detail, the base  300  comprises one or more thru-holes  356  to respectively receive threaded screws  352  for securing the base  300  to the upper rotatable portion  250  of the stage  200 . The base  300  also comprises the channel  354  through which the slider  402  of the z-axis adjustment assembly  400  moves longitudinally in the z-direction. The base  300  further includes the elongated rigid guide rail  358  situated longitudinally along one side of the channel  354 . Additionally, the base  300  includes the elongated resilient guide rail  360  situated longitudinally along the other side of the channel  354 . 
   The base  300  also includes the slot  364  which houses the spring  412  that biases the pad  370  of the base  300  against the end of the screw  408  of the z-axis adjustment device  404 . The base  300  includes the stop  366  to stop the movement of the slider  402  in the negative z-direction at a particular position. The base  300  includes the side thru-holes holes  362   c  to receive respective sets of springs  362   b  and screws  362   a . As previously discussed, the ends of the springs  362   b  contact the elongated resilient guide rail  360  to absorb lateral forces upon the slider  402 . The base  300  further includes the other side thru-hole  356   c  that receives the dowel  356   b  and locking screw  356   a . During locking, the end of the dowel  356   b  makes contact with the elongated resilient guide rail  360 , which, in turn, makes frictional contact with the slider  402  to prevent the movement of the slider  402 ; thereby locking it into a selected position. 
     FIGS. 14A-B  illustrate bottom and top perspective views of the exemplary slider  402  in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. As previously discussed in detail, the slider  402  comprises elongated grooves  410  that ride on the elongated rigid and resilient guide rails  358  and  360  of the base  300  as it slides in the z-direction. The slider  402  includes the thru-hole  418  to provide access to one of the screws  352  that mount the base  300  to the upper rotatable portion  250  of the stage  200 . The slider  402  further includes the pair of threaded holes  412  that thread with the screws  802  of the bridge assembly  800  to secure the bridge assembly  800  to the slider  402 . The slider  402  includes a groove  420  on its bottom that mates with the stop  366  of the base  300 . The interior edge of the groove  420  makes contact with the interior edge of the stop  366  to prevent further movement of the slider  402  in the negative z-direction. The slider  402  may include a plurality of ridges  422  at the four corners on the bottom of the slider  402 . The ridges  422  reduce the contact area of the slider  402  to the bottom of the channel  354  to reduce friction. 
     FIGS. 15A-B  illustrate rear and front perspective views of the exemplary bridge assembly  800  in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. As previously discussed in detail, the bridge assembly  800  comprises catches  816  and  818  for the securing pins  416  and  512  that respective secure ends of the springs  412  and  510  to the bridge assembly  800 . The bridge assembly  800  further comprises the thru-holes  820  and  824  that receive the threaded bores  804  and  806  that threads with the corresponding screws  408  and  508  of the z-axis and pivot adjustment devices  404  and  504 , respectively. The bridge assembly  800  also includes the countersunk thru-holes  822  that respectively receive the screws  802  that secure the bridge assembly  800  to the slider  402 . The bridge assembly  800  also includes the threaded thru-hole  812  that receive the screws  808  that secures the threaded bore  804  to the bridge assembly  800 . The bridge assembly  800  further includes a pair of grooves  825  that receive the steel balls  826  that form the kinematic arrangement with the corresponding holes  516  of the pivoting member  502 . The bridge assembly  800  also includes a hole  831  for receiving the rolling pin  830 , and the other thru-hole  814  for receiving the screw  810  that threads with the threaded hole  832  of the rolling pin  830  to secure the threaded bore  806  to the bridge assembly  800 . 
     FIGS. 16A-C  illustrate a pair of front perspective views and a rear perspective view of the exemplary pivoting member  502  in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. As previously discussed in detail, the pivoting member  502  comprises a thru-hole  524  through which the spring  510  extends from the bridge assembly  800  to the rolling member  602 . The pivoting member  502  further comprises the hole  528  for receiving the threaded bore  526  which, in turn, threads with the screw  608  of the roll adjustment device  604 . The pivoting member  502  comprises a threaded thru-hole  529  that receives the screw  530  for securing the threaded bore  526  to the pivoting member  502 . The pivoting member  502  further comprises a catch  540  for the securing pin  632  that secures an end of the spring  630  to the pivoting member  502 . The pivoting member  502  also includes an elongated groove  542  that houses the spring  630  and the other catch  626  that protrudes from the rear side of the rolling member  602 . The pivoting member  502  also includes the countersunk hole  544  that receives the cylindrical guide  612  that protrudes from the rear side of the rolling member  602 . Additionally, the pivoting member  502  includes an opening  546  that receives the post  624  that protrudes from the rear side of the rolling member  602 . As previously discussed, the end of the screw  608  of the roll adjustment device  604  abuts a flat portion of the post  624  within the joining holes  528  and  546 . 
     FIGS. 17A-B  illustrate front and rear perspective views of the exemplary rolling member  602  in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. As previously discussed, the rolling member  602  comprises sets of threaded thru-holes  610  and fitted holes  611  positioned vertically along the rolling member  602  at predetermined locations to accommodate optical components having different heights. The threaded thru-holes  610  thread with screws  712  to secure the upper and lower members  710  and  750  of the support assembly  700  to the rolling member  602 . The other holes  711  receive pins  718  that assist with horizontally aligning the upper and lower member  710  and  750  of the support assembly  700 . The rolling member  602  also includes the cylindrical guide  612  that protrudes from the rear side of the rolling member  602  into the countersunk hole  544  of the pivoting member  502 . 
   The cylindrical guide  612  includes the centralized hole  614  that leads to a catch  650  that holds the securing pin  514  that secures an end of the spring  510  to the rolling member  602 . The side of the cylindrical guide  612  includes the holes  618  that respectively receive springs  620  and steel balls  622  that provide resilient radial support of the cylindrical guide  612  within the countersunk hole  544  of the pivoting member  502 . The cylindrical guide  612  also includes the pads  616  that sits on a bed of lubricant at the bottom surface of the countersunk hole  544 . The rolling member  602  also includes the catch  626  for the securing pin  628  that secures an end of the spring  630  to the rolling member  602 . The rolling member  602  further includes a threaded hole  623  that threads with a screw  625  that secures the post  624  to the rolling member  602 . 
     FIGS. 18A-B  illustrate perspective views of the exemplary upper and lower members of the exemplary support assembly  700  in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. As previously discussed in detail, the support assembly  700  for the optical component includes the upper support member  710  and the lower support member  750 . The upper support member  710  includes a pair of countersunk holes  711  to respectively receive the screws  712  that secure the upper support member  710  to the rolling member  602 . The upper support member  710  further comprises one or more holes  714  for receiving one or more screws  716  that secure the optical component onto the support assembly  700 . The upper support member  710  includes a pair of holes (not shown in this Figure) to respectively receive the alignment pins  718  that facilitate the horizontal alignment of the upper support member  710  to the rolling member  602 . 
   The lower support member  750  includes a pair of countersunk holes  751  to respectively receive the screws  752  that secure the lower support member  750  to the rolling member  602 . The lower support member  750  further comprises a plurality of grooves  753  to respectively receive the pads  754  that cushion the bottom of the optical component. The lower support member  750  includes a pair of holes (not shown in this Figure) to respectively receive the alignment pins that facilitate the horizontal alignment of the lower support member  750  to the rolling member  602 . 
     FIG. 19  illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary optical control system  1000  in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The optical system  1000  that provides for electronic control of a mount to selectively position and orientate an optical component supported thereon. In this exemplary embodiment, the optical control system  1000  comprises a controller  1010 , a z-axis linear adjustment actuator  1020 , a z-axis rotational adjustment actuator  1030 , an x-axis rotational adjustment actuator  1040 , and a y-axis rotational adjustment actuator  1050 . The actuators are coupled and controlled by the controller  1010 . The actuators, in turn, are coupled to a mount  1060 , such as the mount  100  previously described, in order to position and orientate an optical component mounted thereon. Thus, in this embodiment, the position and orientation of the optical component can be controlled electronically by a controller  1010 . It shall be understood that the optical control system  1000  may further include an x-axis and/or y-axis linear adjustment actuators if the mount  1060  is equipped with x- and y-axes linear adjustment assemblies. 
   In summary, the mount  100  provides for independent adjustment of the optical component along one or more linear axes and one or more rotational axes. Accordingly, the mount  100  provides versatility in properly positioning and orienting an optical component in an optical system. This can save substantial amount of labor time and costs. The mount  100  may be made of various types of materials, such as brass, steel, aluminum, glass reinforced polymer, and others. 
   While an improved mount and optical control system are disclosed by reference to the various embodiments and examples detailed above, it should be understood that these examples are intended in an illustrative rather than limiting sense, as it is contemplated that modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art which are intended to fall within the scope of the present invention.