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arXiv · 2610.27709

A high-speed, large-aperture 3D printed laser shutter for cold atom experiments

Samantha L. Rubinstein·Charles W. Woffinden·Maarten T. M. Christenhusz·Guillaume Gauthier·Tyler W. Neely
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Abstract

Cold atom experiments require optical shutters with rapid and repeatable actuation. Existing solutions often involve high cost, limited aperture diameter and slow transitioning. We present a 3D-printable shutter design featuring a large aperture of 4.5 mm diameter, low-cost assembly, and robust performance. The device achieves switching times of $399\pm8~μ$s with delays of $2.7\pm0.2$ ms for a fully illuminated aperture, with four different shutters demonstrating repeatable performance. We measure the shutter speed to be $7.0\pm0.1$ m/s. This approach offers an accessible, scalable solution for cold atom and other optical experiments requiring multiple shutters with precise light control and avoids the need to resize or precision-align a beam through an aperture.

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Samantha L. Rubinstein, Charles W. Woffinden, Maarten T. M. Christenhusz, Guillaume Gauthier, Tyler W. Neely. 2026-10-20. A high-speed, large-aperture 3D printed laser shutter for cold atom experiments. https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.27709

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