A cryogenic rotation stage with a large clear aperture for the half-wave
  plates in the Spider instrument
  We describe the cryogenic half-wave plate rotation mechanisms built for and
used in Spider, a polarization-sensitive balloon-borne telescope array that
observed the Cosmic Microwave Background at 95 GHz and 150 GHz during a
stratospheric balloon flight from Antarctica in January 2015. The mechanisms
operate at liquid helium temperature in flight. A three-point contact design
keeps the mechanical bearings relatively small but allows for a large (305 mm)
diameter clear aperture. A worm gear driven by a cryogenic stepper motor allows
for precise positioning and prevents undesired rotation when the motors are
depowered. A custom-built optical encoder system monitors the bearing angle to
an absolute accuracy of +/- 0.1 degrees. The system performed well in Spider
during its successful 16 day flight.
