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Products Home / Optomechanical Components / Optical Cage Systems / 30 mm Cage Components / 30 mm Cage Cubes / Compact Cage Cubes for Prisms and BeamsplittersCompact Cage Cubes for Prisms and Beamsplitters
- SM1-Threaded, 30 mm Cage-Compatible Cubes
- Mount Prisms and Cubed Optics
- Options Incorporating 1 or 2 Rotation Mounts
CCM1-4ER
BS5CAM
Adapter for 5 mm
Beamsplitter Cubes
BS10CAM
Adapter for 10 mm
Beamsplitter Cubes
BS127CAM
Adapter for 12.7 mm
Beamsplitter Cubes
CM1-CC
CCM1-C4ER
Application Idea
Cube Connector Connecting
Two Cage Cubes
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ERSCA Cage Rod Adapters are Used to Connect the CCM1-A4ER Cage Cube to a C4W Cage Cube
| Alternative Size Options |
|---|
| 16 mm Cage Cubes |
| 2" Wide, 30 mm Cage Cubes |
| 1.5" Wide, 30 mm Cage Cubes |
| 60 mm Cage Cubes |
Features
- Compatible with 30 mm Cage Systems and SM1 Lens Tubes
- Options for Cubes with 4 Open SM1-Threaded Ports or 1 to 2 Removable Rotation Mounts
- Mounting Adapters Available for Thorlabs' Beamsplitter Cubes
- Additional Ø1/2" Rotation Mounts Available Individually
- 2" Wide 30 mm Cage Cubes with Mounting Accessories are also Available
These 30 mm cage cubes, which are similar to the cage cubes included with our cube-mounted optics, are designed for holding a 1" or 25 mm prism or cube-shaped optic within a 30 mm cage system. Mounting adapters are available for a 5 mm, 10 mm, 12.7 mm, or 20 mm beamsplitter cube. Additionally, the option for installed Ø1/2" rotation mounts allows for the controlled use of polarization optics such as Ø1/2" wave plates. Additional cube-compatible Ø1/2" rotation mounts are offered separately. The compact cubes sold here do not include optics.
30 mm Cage-Cube-Mounted Optics Selection Guide
The table below provides links to all of our 30 mm Cage-Cube-Mounted optics. For our selection of 16 mm Cage-Cube-Mounted Optics, please see our 16 mm Cage Systems guide.
30 mm Cage Cube Empty Optic Mounts Selection Guide
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| Rectangular Dichroic Mirrors and Filters | Empty Compact 30 mm Cage Cube |
Cage System Overview
The Cage Assembly System provides a convenient way to construct large optomechanical systems with an established line of precision-machined building blocks designed for high flexibility and accurate alignment.
16 mm, 30 mm, and 60 mm Cage System Standards
Thorlabs offers three standards defined by the center-to-center spacing of the cage assembly rods (see image below). The 16 mm cage, 30 mm cage, and 60 mm cage standards are designed to accomodate Ø1/2", Ø1", and Ø2" optics, respectively. Specialized cage plates that allow smaller optics to be directly inserted into our larger cage systems are also available.
Standard Threads
The flexibility of our Cage Assembly System stems from well-defined mounting and thread standards designed to directly interface with a wide range of specialized products. The three most prevalent thread standards are our SM05 Series (0.535"-40 thread), SM1 Series (1.035"-40 thread), and SM2 Series (2.035"-40 thread), all of which were defined to house the industry's most common optic sizes. Essential building blocks, such as our popular lens tubes, directly interface to these standards.
An example of the standard cage plate measurements determining cage system compatibility.
| Standard Cage System Measurements | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Cage System | 16 mm | 30 mm | 60 mm |
| Thread Series | SM05 | SM1 | SM2 |
| Rod to Rod Spacing | 16 mm (0.63") | 30 mm (1.18") | 60 mm (2.36") |
| Total Length | 25 mm (0.98") | 41 mm (1.60") | 71.1 mm (2.8") |
| Cage Components | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cage Rods | 16 mm | These rods are used to connect cage plates, optic mounts, and other components in the cage system. The SR Series Cage Rods are compatible with our 16 mm cage systems, while the 30 mm and 60 mm cage systems use ER Series Cage Rods. |
| 30 mm | ||
| 60 mm | ||
| Cage Plates | 16 mm | These serve as the basic building blocks for a cage system. They may have SM-threaded central bores, smooth bores sized for industry standard optics or to accommodate the outer profile of our SM Series Lens Tubes, or specialized bores for other components such as our FiberPorts. |
| 30 mm | ||
| 60 mm | ||
| Optic Mounts | 16 mm | Thorlabs offers fixed, kinematic, rotation, and translation mounts specifically designed for our Cage Systems. |
| 30 mm | ||
| 60 mm | ||
| Cage Cubes | 16 mm | These cubes are useful for housing larger optical components, such as prisms or mirrors, or optics that need to sit at an angle to the beam path, such as beamsplitters. Our cage cubes are available empty or with pre-mounted optics. |
| 30 mm | ||
| 60 mm | ||
| Post and Breadboard Mounts and Adapters | Mounting options for cage systems can be found on our Cage System Construction pages. Cage Systems can be mounted either parallel or perpendicular to the table surface. | |
| Size Adapters | Cage System Size Adapters can be used to integrate components from different cage system and threading standards. | |
| Specialized Components | Thorlabs also produces specialized cage components, such as Filter Wheels, a HeNe Laser Mount, and a FiberPort Cage Plate Adapter, allowing a wide range of our products to be integrated into cage-mounted optical systems. Explore our Cage Systems Visual Navigation Guide to see the full range of Thorlabs' cage components. | |
| Posted Comments: | |
schneider
(posted 2017-09-28 12:29:33.84) I use CM1-BP108 beamsplitters. I also use the CM1-CC cage cube connector. What I miss are additional 0.09in location holes perpendicular to the existing ones. This would give the possibility to rotate the cubes against each other in 90° steps. nbayconich
(posted 2017-10-18 04:15:58.0) Thank you for your feedback. We can provide a quote for this as a custom option. I'll contact you directly with more information. petr.bruza
(posted 2014-05-11 18:25:35.863) Please, was the design of the CM1-4ER cube improved since last feedback? The problem is either that the walls of the cube are too thin, or that the base, when screwed in place, prevents to tighten the SM1 tubes. I damaged two mirrors due to this flaw by tightening SM1 tubes, that caused bending of the base. I need to have the possibility to securely tighten the SM1 tubes. Thank you cdaly
(posted 2014-05-12 10:56:34.0) Response from Chris at Thorlabs: This was modified shortly after the last feedback comment. The current cube design will accommodate the full engagement of the lens tube thread. tcohen
(posted 2012-07-10 11:43:00.0) Response from Tim at Thorlabs: Thank you for your feedback! We are taking a look into this problem and any redesigns that would improve this product. Thank you very much for bringing this to our attention. ppxap3
(posted 2012-07-05 10:36:06.0) I think there is a flaw on the design of this part. The cube base get is the way if one tries to screw in an SM1 tube on the sides. |
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CCM1-4ER with Penta Prism (Optic Sold Separately)
- Compatible with 30 mm Cage System and SM1 Lens Tubes
- Directly Accepts 1" Cubes and 25 mm Right-Angle Prisms
- Mounting Adapters Available Below for Thorlabs' Beamsplitter Cubes Smaller than 25 mm
- Four SM1-Threaded Ports
- Base is Post Mountable via 8-32 (M4) Tap
- 3 Prism Alignment Stops Provide Accuracy of ±20 arcmin
These 1.5" wide cage cubes directly accept a 1" or 25 mm square optic, such as a beamsplitter cube or right-angle prism, with adapters available below for mounting a 5 mm, 10 mm, 12.7 mm, or 20 mm beamsplitter cube. The base of the cube has an 8-32 (M4) tap to attach to Ø1/2" Posts. Two cage cubes can be connected together using ER rods and ERSCA Cage Rod Adapters.
The optic is clamped within the cube by tightening three 1.5 mm hex screws of a tension plate (see image to the right), allowing the user to replace the optic with any other compatible optic when necessary. The optic must sit flush against the three corners of the cube base. Do not overtighten the tension plate, this could damage the optic. The image to the right shows a penta prism mounted in a CCM1-4ER with the outer housing removed.
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Product Image |
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| Item # | CCM1-A4ER(/M) | CCM1-B4ER(/M) | CCM1-C4ER(/M) |
| # of Rotation Mounts | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Rotation Mount Geometry | N/A | 180° | 90° |
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CCM1-C4ER with Right-Angle Prism (Optic Sold Separately)
- Compatible with 30 mm Cage System and SM1 Lens Tubes
- Removable Ø1/2" Rotation Mounts on 1 or 2 Faces
- Available with 2 or 3 SM1-Threaded Ports
- Base is Post Mountable via an 8-32 (M4) Tap
- Directly Accepts 1" Cubes or 25 mm Right-Angle Prisms
- Mounting Adapters Available for Thorlabs' Beamsplitter Cubes Smaller than 25 mm
- 3 Prism Alignment Stops Provide Accuracy of ±20 arcmin
These empty 1.5" wide cage cubes include one or two rotation mounts for Ø1/2" wave plates. The clamping base directly accepts any 1" or 25 mm square optic, such as a beamsplitter cube or right-angle prism, with adapters available below for mounting a 5 mm, 10 mm, 12.7 mm, or 20 mm beamsplitter cube. The rotation mounts feature internal SM05 (0.535"-40) threading and may be locked with a setscrew (0.035" hex). A witness line is engraved on each cube face containing a rotation mount. The base of each cube has an 8-32 (M4) tap for mounting to Ø1/2" Posts.
The optic is clamped within the cube by tightening three 1.5 mm hex screws of a tension plate (see image to the left), allowing the user to replace the optic with any other compatible optic when necessary. The optic must sit flush against the three corners of the cube base. Do not overtighten the tension plate, this could damage the optic. The image to the left shows a right-angle prism mounted in a CCM1-4ER with the outer housing removed.
These empty cubes are ideal for constructing variable beamsplitters, variable attenuators, or beam combiners when used with polarizing beamsplitter cubes and half-wave plates. Additional cube-compatible Ø1/2" rotation mounts are available individually. Thorlabs also offers cube-mounted variable beamsplitters. Two cage cubes can be connected together using ER rods and ERSCA Cage Rod Adapters.
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BS127CAM Adapter Mounted in the CCM1-4ER Cage Cube (Cube, Optic, and Adapter Sold Separately)
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20 mm Beamsplitter Cube Mounted in a CCM1-4ER Cage Cube Using a BS20CAM Adapter Mount (Cube, Optic, and Adapter Sold Separately)
- Beamsplitter Cube Adapters for the Compact Cage Cubes Above
- Designed for Use with Our 5 mm (0.20"), 10 mm (0.39"), 12.7 mm (0.50"), and 20 mm (0.79") Beamsplitter Cubes
- Clear Aperture: >80% (of the Area)
- Center Cubed Optics Within a 30 mm Cage System
These beamsplitter cube adapters are designed to mount Thorlabs' line of beamsplitter cubes in the compact 30 mm cage cubes shown above on this page. The BS5CAM, BS10CAM, BS127CAM, and BS20CAM can be used with 5 mm, 10 mm, 12.7 mm, or 20 mm beamsplitter cube, respectively. Each adapter has an entrance face clear aperture that is greater than 80% of the area and is designed to provide a stable support structure for the optic.
These adapters are comprised of a top and bottom component containing a square recess for mounting a specific cube size. Once the optic is aligned within the recess, the two components will fit together, applying pressure to the optic, holding it in place for use in the CCM1-4ER cage cube (as shown to the right).
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CRM05 Mount in a 30 mm Cage System
- Mount Ø1/2" Optics up to 0.26" (6.5 mm) Thick
- Internal Bore is SM05 (0.535"-40) Threaded for Compatibility with SM05 Lens Tubes
- External SM1 (1.035"-40) Threads for Mounting in SM1 Lens Tubes or 30 mm Cage Cubes
- One SM05RR Retaining Ring Included
The CRM05 is a lockable, continuous-rotation mount for Ø1/2" optics. The mount features full 360° rotation of the front dial face and a setscrew for locking the rotational position into place. External SM1 threads (1.035"-40) allow the mount to be threaded directly onto any internally SM1-threaded device such as SM1 lens tubes or 30 mm cage cubes. The center aperture is SM05-threaded (0.535"-40) and accepts Ø1/2" (Ø12.7 mm) optics up to 0.26" (6.5 mm) thick. Optics are held in the mount with an included SM05RR retaining ring. Two notches along the mount's circumference accommodate the SPW801 adjustable spanner wrench to aid in securing the mount into place.
The knurled edge of the CRM05 and the 360° laser-engraved scale marked at 2° increments allow for precise, repeatable positioning and fine angular adjustment. Four equally spaced witness lines are engraved into the mount's perimeter, ensuring there is always a witness line in a convenient and easily readable position. The mount can be locked into position using the 0.035" hex setscrew on the outer edge.
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A C4W and C6W Cage Cube connected to a 1.5" wide CCM1-4ER Compact Cage Cube using the C4W-CC and
CM1-CC Cube Connectors, respectively.
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CM1-CC Connecting Multiple 1.5" Wide Cage Cubes
- Connect Two 1.5" Wide Cage Cubes Side by Side
- Connect a 1.5" Wide Cage Cube to a 2" Wide Cage Cube
- Compatible with CM1 or CCM1 series Cage Cubes
The CM1-CC Cube Connector allows two or more CM1 or CCM1 style cubes to be connected as shown in the image to the right. The connector can also be used to connect one 1.5" wide 30 mm cage cube, such as our CCM1-4ER, with a 2" wide 30 mm cage cube. The current CM1/CCM1 series of cage cubes, which are all compatible with this connector, include: empty cage cubes (available above), empty dichroic cubes, mounted beamsplitters, and mounted turning mirrors.
Two cage cube-mounted turning mirrors cannot be connected using the CM1-CC due to a lack of Ø6 mm cage rod holes on two sides of the cube.
We also offer the C4W-CC to connect two 2" wide 30 mm cage cubes.
Alignment Pins
Please note that because dowel alignment pins are used, the connector requires drilled holes on the cube face between the SM1-threaded (1.035"-40) ports. If you have an older cube and would like it updated to have alignment holes for free, please contact Technical Support. Alternatively, the alignment pins are press-fit inside their mounting holes, and can be pressed out for use with cubes that do not have these alignement holes.
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