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Updated: May 14, 2026
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Experiments on Ultrasonic Lubrication Using a Piezoelectrically-assisted Tribometer and Optical Profilometer
Published on: September 28, 2015
12.7K
Seismic isolation of optical tables using piezo actuators.
Tailong Wang1,2, Carl Blair2, Ammar Al-Jodah2
1School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, China.
The Review of Scientific Instruments
|June 27, 2025
Summary
Active seismic isolation platforms reduce ground vibrations for gravitational wave detection. This system uses piezo actuators to suppress seismic noise, achieving 1 nm/Hz residual horizontal motion.
Area of Science:
- Physics
- Engineering
- Gravitational Wave Astronomy
Background:
- Gravitational wave detectors require exceptional seismic isolation to detect faint signals.
- Ground vibrations are a primary source of noise in precision measurement experiments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe an active seismic isolation platform for precision measurement experiments.
- To demonstrate the effectiveness of piezo actuation in suppressing seismic noise.
Main Methods:
- The platform utilizes piezo actuators for five degrees of freedom (3 translational, 2 tip-tilt).
- A seismometer monitors table motion, feeding data into a feedback control system.
- The control system operates with a bandwidth of 0.3-3 Hz to suppress seismic noise.
Main Results:
- Seismic noise suppression levels of 21 to 36 dB were achieved between 0.5-1.3 Hz.
- Residual horizontal motion was reduced to 1 nm/Hz at 1 Hz along the optic axis.
- Suppression effectiveness was validated using a witness seismometer.
Conclusions:
- The active seismic isolation platform effectively suppresses seismic noise for precision measurements.
- Limitations such as tilt-to-translation coupling were identified, impacting performance over the desired frequency range.
