Renaissance Scientific designs and manufactures precision cryogenic nanopositioners and controllers for research conducted below 1 K.
Funding
Funding not disclosed
Founders
Product
Problem
Researchers conducting experiments at cryogenic temperatures (< 1 K) need nanometer‑scale positioning of samples and optical components, but conventional piezo stages consume high power, generate heat, and are not compatible with ultra‑high‑vacuum or non‑magnetic environments, limiting their use in quantum computing and low‑temperature microscopy.
Solution
Renaissance Scientific provides a family of cryogenic nanopositioners and controllers that deliver sub‑10 nm resolution and <200 nm repeatability while operating from below 1 K up to 350 K. Their devices use low‑current piezo drives (50–600 V at hundreds of µA) and ACAP™ capacitive sensing, consuming ~90× less energy than traditional piezo motors and requiring only ~100 nW sensor power. The stages are built from titanium with ceramic ball and vee‑groove bearings, are bakeable to 120 °C, UHV compatible (≤ 10⁻¹¹ mBar), and non‑magnetic (< 10 nT), meeting the stringent requirements of quantum hardware. A modular product line offers ultra‑compact, extended‑travel, high‑payload, and 6‑degree‑of‑freedom rotary modules, enabling precise alignment for ion‑trap and photonic quantum processors, scanning probe and confocal microscopy, and fiber‑to‑chip coupling.
Target Audience
Primary customers are research laboratories and institutions developing ion‑trap or photonic quantum computers, low‑temperature microscopy (SPM/AFM, confocal), and precision fiber‑to‑chip alignment systems that require cryogenic, UHV‑compatible nanopositioning.
Features
- Low‑current piezo drive (50–600 V, 100s µA) delivering up to 90× lower power consumption than conventional motors
- ACAP™ capacitive position sensing with absolute encoding and ~100 nW sensor power
- Replaceable piezo actuators with two spares per axis for easy maintenance
- UHV‑compatible, bakeable to 120 °C, and non‑magnetic construction (< 10 nT)
- Titanium body and ceramic ball/vee‑groove bearings for robust operation across 1 K–350 K
- Position resolution < 10 nm and repeatability < 200 nm across a range of travel options (ultra‑compact to ultra‑long)
- Modular product family including XY/Z scanners, full XYZ stages, vertical/horizontal modules, high‑payload variants, and a 6‑DOF rotary positioning system