{"id":29081,"date":"2026-03-11T16:47:38","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T14:47:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vsl.nl\/?p=29081"},"modified":"2026-03-11T16:47:38","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T14:47:38","slug":"measuring-the-invisible-vsls-picodrift-interferometer-is-pushing-the-limits-of-precision","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vsl.nl\/en\/publications\/measuring-the-invisible-vsls-picodrift-interferometer-is-pushing-the-limits-of-precision\/","title":{"rendered":"Measuring the invisible: VSL\u2019s Picodrift interferometer is pushing the limits of precision"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><p>[vc_section full_width=&#8221;stretch_row&#8221; content_placement=&#8221;middle&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1773239571489{background-image: url(https:\/\/www.vsl.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/VSL-lab-82-scaled.jpg?id=29084) !important;background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: cover !important;}&#8221; el_class=&#8221;main_header gradient_header dg-position-realtive&#8221;][vc_row equal_height=&#8221;yes&#8221; content_placement=&#8221;middle&#8221; el_class=&#8221;dg-header&#8211;small&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;5\/6&#8243; el_class=&#8221;dg-padding-none full_width_responsive&#8221;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1773238659125{margin-bottom: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}&#8221; el_class=&#8221;text-white&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h1>Measuring the invisible: VSL\u2019s Picodrift interferometer is pushing the limits of precision<\/h1>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section][vc_section el_class=&#8221;dg-padding-mid&#8221;][vc_row el_class=&#8221;dg-padding-small-bottom dg-index-fix dg-position-relative&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243; el_class=&#8221;full_width_responsive dg-padding-none&#8221;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p class=\"header_subtext\">Publication<\/p>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]&#8221;Precise&#8221; is a moving target. For a carpenter, a millimetre might be precise and for a watchmaker it would be a hundredth of a millimetre. But in the high-tech worlds of the semiconductor industry or gravitational wave-hunters, for example, precision means measuring distances smaller than a single atom. This is the domain of nanoscale metrology.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]At VSL we have developed a specialised instrument called the Picodrift interferometer. It is designed to measure displacement (movement) with incredible accuracy, resolving shifts as small as 10 picometres. To put that in perspective: if a single human hair were the size of a mountain, 10 picometres would be the size of a pebble![\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]This level of ultra-precision measurement is now helping to solve critical challenges in industry and science, from stabilizing the massive Einstein Telescope to ensuring the microchips in your phone are manufactured correctly.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h3>The problem with being too precise<\/h3>\n<p>Ultra-precise measurements come with their own peculiar challenges. Even the most advanced motion systems with nanometre-level accuracy face a stubborn enemy: drift. Drift is the slow, unwanted movement that happens over time. Glue joints might settle slightly, metal might expand by a fraction due to a tiny temperature change, or a bolted connection might experience &#8220;microslip&#8221; \u2013 shifting by a microscopic amount under load.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]To detect and correct these errors, you need a ruler that is vastly more accurate than the thing you are measuring. You need traceable metrology: a measurement chain that links your specific device back to international measurement standards. The Picodrift interferometer provides exactly that, serving as a master ruler for the nanoworld.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/3&#8243; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1757515146370{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-right: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;margin-left: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}&#8221; el_class=&#8221;tablet_expert full_width_responsive&#8221;]<div class=\"templatera_shortcode\"><section class=\"vc_section\"><div class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid full_width_responsive\"><div class=\"dg-specialist--inner dg-padding--none-inner wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner vc_custom_1757057705883\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t<div  class=\"wpb_single_image wpb_content_element vc_align_left  vc_custom_1757514396862  dg-expert--image\">\n\t\t\n\t\t<figure class=\"wpb_wrapper vc_figure\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"vc_single_image-wrapper   vc_box_border_grey\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.vsl.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/walter-knulst.jpg\" class=\"vc_single_image-img attachment-full lazyload\" alt=\"\" title=\"walter-knulst\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vsl.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/walter-knulst.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.vsl.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/walter-knulst-300x200.jpg 300w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\"  data-dt-location=\"https:\/\/www.vsl.nl\/en\/?attachment_id=27250\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 500px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 500\/333;\" \/><\/div>\n\t\t<\/figure>\n\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_inner vc_row-fluid dg-padding--square vc_custom_1757057909078 vc_row-o-equal-height vc_row-o-content-middle vc_row-flex\"><div class=\"dg-padding--none-inner dg-expert--inner-content wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner vc_custom_1757058090823\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element  vc_custom_1757510893821 dg-expert--content-header\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<h3>Would you like to know more about our services?<\/h3>\n<p>Our experts are happy to help.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element  vc_custom_1757514340221 sector_specialist\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<p><b>Walter Knulst<\/b><br \/>\nPrincipal Scientist Length &amp; Optics<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"wpb_raw_code wpb_raw_html wpb_content_element vc_custom_1757514353708\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<i class=\"far fa-envelope green_icon\"><\/i> <a class=\"custom_link_specialist\" href=\"mailto:wknulst@vsl.nl\"> wknulst@vsl.nl<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\r\n<\/div>[\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row equal_height=&#8221;yes&#8221; content_placement=&#8221;top&#8221;][vc_column el_class=&#8221;full_width_responsive dg-padding-none&#8221;][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h3>How the Picodrift works, simply put<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Picodrift is an optical instrument that uses laser light to measure distance. It splits a laser beam into two paths. One path bounces off the object being measured; the other acts as a reference. When the beams recombine, they create an interference pattern. If the object moves even a fraction of a wavelength of light, that pattern shifts. <\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]What makes the Picodrift special is the extremely high level of stability. It actually runs two of these measurements simultaneously. One measures the object, while the other measures the air itself to correct for tiny changes in air pressure or humidity, which can bend light and ruin the measurement.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]The entire Picodrift setup is housed in a thermally isolated box that keeps temperature changes to within a few thousandths of a degree per hour. This &#8220;balanced&#8221; design allows VSL to distinguish between actual movement of the sample and false signals caused by the environment, making it one of the most stable interferometric sensors available.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row equal_height=&#8221;yes&#8221; content_placement=&#8221;top&#8221;][vc_column el_class=&#8221;full_width_responsive dg-padding-none&#8221;][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h3>Correcting for &#8220;ghost&#8221; movements<\/h3>\n<p>Even with such a stable design, VSL researchers constantly hunt for intrinsic drift\u2014errors generated by the machine itself. A recent study used complex computer simulations to model every lens, mirror, and mount in the system.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The results were encouraging: they showed that the mechanical stability of the optical components is excellent. The remaining tiny errors are likely caused by the air inside the device or the fibre-optic cables delivering the laser light. By identifying these sources, VSL can refine the instrument further, pushing the boundaries of sub-nanometre accuracy. <\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row equal_height=&#8221;yes&#8221; content_placement=&#8221;top&#8221;][vc_column el_class=&#8221;full_width_responsive dg-padding-none&#8221;][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h3>Replacing physical objects with &#8220;Virtual Standards&#8221;<\/h3>\n<p>With the Picodrift, VSL is pioneering a different approach called virtual standards calibration. Instead of the traditional method of using a physical (silicon) standard \u2013 a block with finely etched grooves \u2013 the Picodrift uses a high-tech buzzer: a piezoelectric actuator that moves back and forth. Because this movement is continuously monitored and calibrated by the Picodrift, the moving actuator becomes the standard.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]This &#8220;virtual standard&#8221; is incredibly flexible and very precise below one nanometre. It can mimic a step, a slope, or a rough surface, allowing users to calibrate atomic force microscopes and other optical displacement sensors with much greater versatility than a static physical standard ever could.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]One of the most exciting applications for this new technology is the Einstein Telescope. This future underground observatory is designed to detect gravitational waves. For this purpose, the telescope must be completely isolated from the noisy vibration of the Earth. VSL is part of a project called SENVIDET, which aims to develop sensors used to isolate vibrations at extremely low frequencies.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]Using the Picodrift as a reference, VSL is helping to validate new sensors that will actively cancel out ground motion for the Einstein Telescope. If the sensors drift or have too large errors, the telescope is blind. The Picodrift ensures that when these sensors detect a movement, it really is moving.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row equal_height=&#8221;yes&#8221; content_placement=&#8221;top&#8221;][vc_column el_class=&#8221;full_width_responsive dg-padding-none&#8221;][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h3>The future of measuring small<\/h3>\n<p>From the depths of the Einstein Telescope to the cleanrooms of chip factories, the need for nanoscale metrology is growing. The VSL Picodrift interferometer bridges the gap between scientific theory and industrial reality.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]By providing a way to measure nanometre displacements with traceable metrology that is immune to environmental noise, VSL is helping engineers and scientists trust what they see, even when they are looking at things too small to be seen at all.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row equal_height=&#8221;yes&#8221; content_placement=&#8221;top&#8221;][vc_column el_class=&#8221;full_width_responsive dg-padding-none&#8221;][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]An article has been published in the magazine Mikroniek about the VSL Picodrift interferometer. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vsl.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/056424_Mikroniek_Uitgave-5_Einstein-Telescope_2025_Picodrift-Interferometer_2.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">You can read it here: Mikroniek number 5 2025.<\/a>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This level of ultra-precision measurement is now helping to solve critical challenges in industry and science.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":29084,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[87,58],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29081","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry-en","category-publications","category-87","category-58","description-off"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>VSL | VSL\u2019s Picodrift-interferometer verlegt de grenzen van precisie<\/title>\n<meta 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