Can Geared Steppers or Coreless DC Motors Achieve Nanopositioning?

[new299]

I'm curious about nanometer precision actuators, I wrote a short review of the Piezo actuator types I'm aware of here:

http://41j.com/blog/2014/09/piezo-actuators-a-review/

But does anyone have any information on other actuator types capable of nanopositioning? Are there any electrostatic actuators suitable for nanopositioning applications?

My understanding was that steppers have too much vibrational noise to be used for nanoposiitoning, but I've recently purchased some stages which claim micron resolution using 5-phase steppers. Can geared steppers or perhaps coreless DC motors be used for nanopositioning applications?

 

[Quantum Defect]

I'm curious about nanometer precision actuators, I wrote a short review of the Piezo actuator types I'm aware of here:

http://41j.com/blog/2014/09/piezo-actuators-a-review/

But does anyone have any information on other actuator types capable of nanopositioning? Are there any electrostatic actuators suitable for nanopositioning applications?

My understanding was that steppers have too much vibrational noise to be used for nanoposiitoning, but I've recently purchased some stages which claim micron resolution using 5-phase steppers. Can geared steppers or perhaps coreless DC motors be used for nanopositioning applications?

Some commercial interferometers use an air bearing to mount the movable mirror (with a solenoid ? with active feedback control) to stabilize the mirror at the zero crossings of a He:Ne reference laser (+/- few nm).