MOGshutter

You can construct a very fast (sub-microsecond) mechanical shutter for laser beams, using a voice coil actuator from a hard disc drive. Details are at the shutter website and described in the paper Enhanced laser shutter using a hard disk drive voice-coil actuator, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 78 026101 (2007).

The shutter, and variations based on loudspeaker voice coils, relay actuators and other electromechanical devices, are easily constructed, but the electronics can be a nuisance. MOGlabs can help with a four-layer double-sided PCB, solder-masked and silk screened, US$50. Insert your components, and plug in a standard "wall-wart" plugpack power supply. It includes both manual and TTL control, and will drive a forward or reverse current, up to 6 amps at up to 55 volts. Please contact us for further information.