Pre-aligned optical mounts

A pre-aligned optical kit comprising:

• a plurality of pre-aligned optical mounts;
• and
• an optical table;
• wherein each pre-aligned optical mount comprises:
• a housing;
• and
• a specific optical element mounted onto the housing;
• wherein the housing comprises:
• a contact surface on the housing;
• and
• a first and second holes on the contact surface;
• wherein the contact surface is machined with respect to a desired plane, and the first and second holes are positioned and sized to fit the corresponding first and second locating pins on the optical table;
• wherein when the contact surfaces of the plurality of pre-aligned optical mounts make contact with the optical table with their respective locating pins inserted, optical axes of the plurality of the optical elements are aligned with the corresponding predefined optical axes with respect to the optical table, and a desired optical path is aligned with the optical axes of the plurality of the optical elements.

A system of making a pre-aligned optical mount comprising an optical element mounted onto a housing, the system comprising:

• a computer numerical control (CNC) milling machine;
• a stage having at least four degrees of freedom configured to securely support the housing;
• a light source configured to generate a light beam;
• a beam splitter configured to transmit the light beam onto the optical element and to reflect light from the optical element onto a first detector;
• a second detector configured to detect light transmitted by the optical element;
• a processor configured to align the optical element with a specified optical axis by sending adjustment commands to the stage based on the signal detector by the first and second detectors;
• the processor is further configured to control the CNC milling machine to mill the housing to match an optical platform onto which the housing is be mounted;
• wherein the housing is milled such that an optical axis of the optical element is aligned with a predefined optical axis with respect to the optical platform when the housing is mounted onto the optical platform.