M²– Beam Propagation Analysis

M², or Beam Propagation Ratio, is a value that indicates how close a laser is to being a single mode TEM00 beam, which in turn determines how small a beam waist can be focused. For the perfect Gaussian TEM00 condition the M² equals 1. M² cannot be determined from a single beam profile measurement. The ISO/DIS 11146 requires that M² be calculated from a series of measurements. M² is measured on real beams by focusing the beam with a fixed position lens of known focal length, and then measuring the characteristics of the artificially created beam waist and divergence. We have a number of solutions for the measurement of M² ranging from simple manual processes to fully automated dedicated instruments, depending on the frequency of the need to measure M² of lasers and laser systems.

  • BeamSquared®

    The BeamSquared® system is a compact and fully automated tool for measuring the propagation characteristics of CW and pulsed laser systems from the UV to NIR to Telecom wavelengths. Users can also measure wavelengths above 1.8 microns, including CO2 and terahertz in manual mode (a bench set-up; without the automated optical train) with a Pyrocam IV or IIIHR. Our longer optical train and patented Ultracal™ Calibration makes BeamSquared the most accurate product on the market and is ISO 11146 compliant.

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  • NanoModeScan M² Measuring System

    NanoModeScan Laser M2 Measuring System
    This scanning slit M² measurement system accurately analyzes lasers with wavelengths from UV to Far Infrared with its silicon, germanium, or pyroelectric head. It features a compact portable design, immediate results, ISO compliant measurements, and operates in CW or kHz Pulsed modes which makes it ideal for comprehensive analysis of lasers of most wavelengths. Scanhead Travel: 500mm USB 2.0Interface M² Analysis Software included
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