45° Mounting Adapters


  • Fixed 45° Mounting Adapters for Mirror Mounts
  • Adapters are Ø1" Post Mountable via 1/4"-20 (M6) Tapped Hole

MA45-2

For KM100 and KM200
Mirror Mounts

POLARIS-MA45

For Ø1" or Ø25 mm Polaris
Mirror Mounts

Application Idea

POLARIS-K1F Mirror Mount with POLARIS-LN1 Lock Nuts Mounted on a POLARIS-MA45 Adapter

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These mounting adapters are ideal for mounting Thorlabs mirror mounts at 45° with respect to an optical tablebreadboard, or work surface. The MA45-2 is designed to mount standard Ø1" or Ø2" kinematic mirror mounts, and the POLARIS-MA45(/M) is designed to mount Ø1" or Ø25 mm Polaris® mirror mounts.

The POLARIS-MA45(/M) is constructed from 303 stainless steel, matching the material used to machine our Polaris mirror mounts for optimal thermal repeatability and vacuum compatibility. All Polaris products undergo extensive testing to ensure high quality performance; this testing can be viewed in the Polaris Test Data tab.

The MA45-2 (MA45-50/M) is constructed from anodized aluminum and is compatible with our Ø1" KM100 and Ø2" KM200 mirror mounts.

POLARIS-MA45 Positional Repeatability after Thermal Shock

Polaris® components have undergone extensive testing to ensure high-quality performance. Here, a Polaris mirror mount was secured to a POLARIS-MA45 which was then secured to a stainless steel rigid platform in a temperature-controlled environment. A beam from an independently temperature-stabilized laser diode was reflected by the mirror onto a position-sensing detector.

Purpose: This testing was done to determine how reliably the mirror mount and 45° mounting adapter system returns the mirror, without hysteresis, to its initial position. These measurements show that the alignment of the optical system is unaffected by the temperature shock.

Procedure: The temperature of the Polaris mount and adapter system tested was raised to 37.5 °C. This temperature shock was maintained for approximately 60 minutes (soak time, see plots below). Then the temperature of the mirror mount system was returned to the starting temperature. The results of these tests are shown below.

Results: As can be seen in the plots below, when the Polaris mount and adapter system were returned to their initial temperature, the angular position (both pitch and yaw) of the mirrors returned to within 2 µrad of its initial position. The performance of the Polaris system was tested further by subjecting the mount to repeated temperature change cycles. After each cycle, the mirror mount system position reliably returned to within 2 µrad of its initial position.

Conclusions: The Polaris 45° mounting adapter paired with a Polaris mirror mount is a high-quality, ultra-stable system that will reliably return a mirror to its original position after cycling through a temperature change. As a result, this system is ideal for use in applications that require long-term alignment stability. This also shows that the addition of the POLARIS-MA45 to the Polaris mirror mount does not compromise the performance of the mirror mount alone.

POLARIS-19S50 Thermal Data
Click to Enlarge
The plot above shows the pitch and yaw measured by a position-sensing detector before, while, and after a thermal shock was applied to the POLARIS-MA45 mounting adapter and Polaris mirror mount.
Polaris-19S50 Thermal Shock Tests
Click to Enlarge
The plot above shows the final angular position of the system for 10 consecutive thermal shock tests. The change in temperature is the difference between the starting temperature and the temperature at the end of the test and includes factors such as the variation in room temperature.

Posted Comments:
Daniel Fan  (posted 2024-10-14 19:29:34.723)
Hello Can this adapter be used with 2 inch polaris mirror mounts? If not, is there a way to mount a 2 inch polaris mirror at 45 degrees? Thanks Daniel
jdelia  (posted 2024-10-30 11:15:35.0)
Thank you for contacting Thorlabs. Unfortunately, the POLARIS-MA45/M is not compatible with 2" mounts. I have reached out to you directly via email to discuss your application.
201allenchiu  (posted 2018-05-10 07:56:23.813)
Hi, Can this product: POLARIS-MA45/M be used for a Ø2" Polaris Mirror Mounts? Thanks Best, Allen
YLohia  (posted 2018-05-10 04:09:56.0)
Hi Allen, thank you for contacting Thorlabs. Yes, you can use this adapter with your POLARIS-K2S2P mount that we discussed about since your Polaris mount's back plate thickness is 0.50" or less. Please note that 1/2" and 19mm mounts cannot be used since their adjusters interfere with the protrusion on the angle mount adapter.
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45° Mounting Adapter for Ø1" or Ø25 mm Polaris Mirror Mounts


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View Imperial Product List
Item #QtyDescription
Imperial Product List
POLARIS-K1F1Polaris® Low Distortion Ø1" Mirror Mount, 3 Adjusters
POLARIS-MA45145° Mounting Adapter for Ø1" and Ø25 mm Polaris Mounts, 8-32 and 1/4"-20 Taps
POLARIS-CA11Flexure Clamping Arm for Ø1" Posts, Non-Bridging, Stainless Steel, 1.30" Counterbored Slot, 1/4"-20 Clamping Screw
RS11Ø1" Pillar Post, 1/4"-20 Taps, L = 1"
SS25S05011/4"-20 Stainless Steel Setscrew, 1/2" Long, 25 Pack
POLARIS-LN131/4"-100 Lock Nut, 13 mm Hex, Stainless Steel
View Metric Product List
Item #QtyDescription
Metric Product List
POLARIS-K1F1Polaris® Low Distortion Ø1" Mirror Mount, 3 Adjusters
POLARIS-MA45/M145° Mounting Adapter for Ø1" and Ø25 mm Polaris Mounts, M4 and M6 Taps
POLARIS-CA1/M1Flexure Clamping Arm for Ø1" Posts, Non-Bridging, Stainless Steel, 33.0 mm Counterbored Slot, M6 Clamping Screw
RS25/M1Ø25.0 mm Pillar Post, M6 Taps, L = 25 mm
SS6MS121M6 x 1.0 Stainless Steel Setscrew, 12 mm Long, 25 Pack
POLARIS-LN131/4"-100 Lock Nut, 13 mm Hex, Stainless Steel
A POLARIS-K1F Mirror Mount Held at 45° by a POLARIS-MA45 Mounted on a Ø1" Post which is Held by a POLARIS-CA1 Clamping Arm
  • Designed for Use With All  Ø1" or Ø25 mm Polaris Mirror Mounts
  • Vacuum Compatible to 10-9 Torr at 25 °C with Proper Bake Out
  • Bottom-Located 1/4"-20 (M6) Tap Allows for Attachment to Ø1" (Ø25.0 mm) Posts
  • Two Ø2 mm Alignment Pin Holes in the Base for Precision Mounting in OEM Systems
  • Heat-Treated 303 Stainless Steel

Click for Details

POLARIS-MA45(/M) Mechanical Drawing

The POLARIS-MA45(/M) 45° Mounting Adapters securely mount Ø1" or Ø25 mm Polaris Mirror Mounts at a 45° angle with respect to the optical tablebreadboard, or working surface. The adapter has an 8-32 (M4) tap on the 45° face for securing the mirror mount, and a bottom-located 1/4"-20 (M6) tap for attachment to Ø1" (Ø25.0 mm) Posts. Two Ø2 mm alignment pin holes around each tap allow for direct, precision mounting within custom or OEM systems (see diagram to the bottom right for details).


Click to Enlarge

Each Polaris product undergoes extensive thermal testing to ensure high-quality performance. Please see the Polaris Test Data tab for additional test results.

When using our standard Ø1" or Ø25 mm Polaris mounts, the height to the center of the mirror will be 2" from the base of the mounting adapter when using the POLARIS-MA45, or 50 mm if using the POLARIS-MA45/M. The optic center will also be aligned over the center axis of the mount. Please note that when using other Polaris mounts, such as our low-distortion or SM-threaded versions, these values will differ and the mirror center will not be perfectly centered over the center axis of the mount.

This adapter is made from heat-treated 303 stainless steel, which has a relatively low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and matches the material used in all of our Polaris mirror mounts. Matching the CTE of materials within an optical setup is essential to achieve optimal thermal repeatability. Heat treating the materials used removes the internal stresses that can cause temperature-dependent hysteresis. Therefore, when mounting, we only recommend using components fabricated from the same material. This is shown in the image above, where a POLARIS-K1F mirror mount, POLARIS-MA45 adapter, RS1 Ø1" post, and POLARIS-CA1 clamping arm are used together to mount a mirror at 45° with respect to the mounting surface.

Cleanroom and Vacuum Compatibility
The POLARIS-MA45(/M) is designed to be compatible with cleanroom and vacuum applications. They are chemically cleaned using the Carpenter AAA passivation method to remove sulfur, iron, and contaminants from the surface. After passivation, they are assembled in a clean environment and double vacuum bagged to eliminate contamination when transported into a cleanroom. Please contact Tech Support for details.

Based on your currency / country selection, your order will ship from Newton, New Jersey  
+1 Qty Docs Part Number - Imperial Price Available
POLARIS-MA45 Support Documentation
POLARIS-MA45Customer Inspired! 45° Mounting Adapter for Ø1" and Ø25 mm Polaris Mounts, 8-32 and 1/4"-20 Taps
$50.18
Today
+1 Qty Docs Part Number - Metric Price Available
POLARIS-MA45/M Support Documentation
POLARIS-MA45/MCustomer Inspired! 45° Mounting Adapter for Ø1" and Ø25 mm Polaris Mounts, M4 and M6 Taps
$50.18
Today
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45° Mounting Adapter for KM100 and KM200


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View Imperial Product List
Item #QtyDescription
Imperial Product List
MA45-2145° Mounting Adapter, Compatible with KM100 and KM200, 8-32 and 1/4"-20 Taps
UPHA1Swivel Base Adapter
KM1001Kinematic Mirror Mount for Ø1" Optics
SH25S03811/4"-20 Stainless Steel Cap Screw, 3/8" Long, 25 Pack
SH25S05011/4"-20 Stainless Steel Cap Screw, 1/2" Long, 25 Pack
View Metric Product List
Item #QtyDescription
Metric Product List
MA45-50/M145° Mounting Adapter, Compatible with KM100 and KM200, M4 and M6 Taps
UPHA1Swivel Base Adapter
KM1001Kinematic Mirror Mount for Ø1" Optics
SH6MS101M6 x 1.0 Stainless Steel Cap Screw, 10 mm Long, 25 Pack
SH4MS101M4 x 0.7 Stainless Steel Cap Screw, 10 mm Long, 50 Pack
MA45-2 Mounting Adapter with the UPHA Base and KM100 Mirror Mount
  • Designed for Use with Our KM100 and KM200 Kinematic Mirror Mounts
  • Beam Height (to Center of Mounted Mirror):
    • With KM100: 2.00" (50.8 mm)
    • With KM200: 2.49" (63.2 mm)
  • Bottom-Located 1/4"-20 (M6) Tap Allows for Attachment to Ø1" (Ø25.0 mm) Posts or Post Holder Bases
  • Anodized Aluminum

The MA45-2 (MA45-50/M) 45° mounting adapter is designed to allow our KM100 and KM200 mirror mounts to be securely held at 45° with respect to the optical tablebreadboard, or working surface. The beam height to the center of a mirror mounted in a KM100 on a MA45-2 is 2" (50.8 mm). The beam height of the same assembly using the KM200 is 2.49" (63.2 mm).

An 8-32 (M4) tap is provided on the 45° flat surface of the adapter so the KM100 can be directly fastened to that surface with a cap screw. This mounting adapter can be secured to our Ø1" (Ø25 mm) posts or post holder bases via a bottom-located 1/4"-20 (M6) cap screw.

Based on your currency / country selection, your order will ship from Newton, New Jersey  
+1 Qty Docs Part Number - Imperial Price Available
MA45-2 Support Documentation
MA45-245° Mounting Adapter, Compatible with KM100 and KM200, 8-32 and 1/4"-20 Taps
$25.07
Today
+1 Qty Docs Part Number - Metric Price Available
MA45-50/M Support Documentation
MA45-50/M45° Mounting Adapter, Compatible with KM100 and KM200, M4 and M6 Taps
$25.07
Today