A team has fabricated a fully monolithic optomechanical chassis using laser powder bed fusion, an additive manufacturing technique. The structure is made of Invar36, a low-thermal-expansion alloy that provides high dimensional stability under changing environmental conditions. The design embeds optical mounts, flexures and alignment features directly into the chassis geometry, with shapes that exceed the practical limits of conventional subtractive manufacturing.

The device is intended for an unbalanced field-widened interferometer, a configuration that demands very tight dimensional control. By integrating the entire optical support structure into a single compact unit, the system reduces its footprint compared with traditional optomechanical assemblies, which require multiple components to be mounted and aligned separately. Additive manufacturing also allows the geometry to be customised and the assembly to be lightweighted without sacrificing rigidity.

According to the authors, the results demonstrate the potential of 3D printing to produce lightweight, highly customised optical systems. The work opens up new pathways for next-generation optical instrumentation and quantum sensors, where the mechanical and thermal stability of the mount is a critical factor in performance.