A two-axis tip-tilt platform for x-ray interferometry

We describe the design and demonstrate a two-axis tip-tilt platform stacked on a translation stage for combined x-ray and optical interferometry, electronically controlled to compensate for parasitic rotations and straightness errors. The key characteristic of the platform is its carrying out translations and rotations by sliding. In spite of the potential stop-and-go motion, an x-ray interferometer was successfully operated and guiding errors were kept to within 1 nrad and 1 nm. The platform made it possible the motion of the x-ray interferometer up to a couple of millimetres. In addition, the combined x-ray and optical interferometer allowed us to investigate the micro-dynamics of sliding.