Laser Beam Measurement Vocabulary
Brush up on your laser physics with our new glossary. Find out different ways to define beam width, mode, Rayleigh […]
Laser Beam Measurement Vocabulary Read Post »
Category: Laser Beam Analysis
Focal Shift in Laser Welders [video]
Is your laser’s focus spot where you think it is? This video shows the focal shift of a 100 kW laser during the first four seconds of startup using BeamWatch, Ophir-Spiricon’s non-contact high power beam analyzer. Find out more here: https://www.ophiropt.com/laser–measurement/beam-profilers/products/High-Power-Beam-Profiling/BeamWatch
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Measuring Profiles of Non-Laser Light Sources
We talk a lot here about lasers.
How to measure laser power, energy, size, and distribution profile. How to avoid damage from lasers. Etc., etc.
But what about other light sources?
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The Full Spectrum of Laser Measurement [video]
For every wavelength of laser along the electromagnetic spectrum, Ophir-Spiricon can measure the output. This video briefly introduces the equipment used in the different regions of the spectrum to measure and profile lasers.
The Full Spectrum of Laser Measurement [video] Read Post »
Measuring Pulsed Lasers with a Scanning-Slit Profiler
When it comes to profiling your laser beam, there are quite a few questions to consider. Accuracy, functions, cost, etc.
Measuring Pulsed Lasers with a Scanning-Slit Profiler Read Post »
Imaging UV light with CCD Cameras
Want to profile your UV laser with a Silicon CCD camera?
Read this first.
Imaging UV light with CCD Cameras Read Post »
Non-Contact Beam Profiling of 100 kW and Above: How Can This Work?
I’ve mentioned BeamWatch before.
It’s an innovative technique for profiling high power lasers (1 kW and up).
I’ve even touched on the underlying Rayleigh scattering effect that makes this possible.
But how does this really work?
Non-Contact Beam Profiling of 100 kW and Above: How Can This Work? Read Post »
Focusing a Gaussian Laser Beam: Which Formula to Use?
Learn when to use thin lens vs Gaussian formulas for accurate laser beam focusing, spot size, and Rayleigh length optimization.
Focusing a Gaussian Laser Beam: Which Formula to Use? Read Post »
How Stray Light Affects Laser Beam Profiling
CCD camera beam profilers are very sensitive to light.
So what happens when we consider ambient light? How about other light sources in the area, such as laser pumps?
There are two issues that can be caused by unwanted light getting into the camera:
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Must You Measure Industrial Laser Performance?
With all the advancements in laser technology, lasers have become higher quality and more consistent.
Laser manufacturers test and measure their lasers during development, to make sure you, the laser end user, get the highest quality laser system.
With all this in mind then, do you really have to measure your laser system?
Must You Measure Industrial Laser Performance? Read Post »
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Laser Beam Profiling System
What are the four things you need to know when selecting a laser beam profiling system? Learn from Ophir-Spiricon’s sales engineers – the experts in the field of measuring lasers – what you need to know to get the most out of your laser beam.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Laser Beam Profiling System Read Post »
Q&A: M-Squared Laser Beam Quality
What’s M-Squared, again?
If you’re not familiar with M2 already, it basically sums up your laser beam quality in a single number.
M2 takes a look at your beam caustic (the curve of the laser beam as it focuses and diverges again) and compares this to an ideal Gaussian beam caustic.
So if your beam is perfectly Gaussian, you’ll get M2 = 1. For high quality beams, M2 might be 1.1 or 1.2, for lower qualities you can get up to 3, 4 and even double digits for some low quality high power lasers.
So, how do you know what the M2 of your laser beam really is?
Q&A: M-Squared Laser Beam Quality Read Post »