LASER-BEAM PROFILERS: How to select a beam-profile measurement system

摘要

When choosing a laser-beam profiling system, you'll need to know a few things about your laser and what you want to measure. A laser-beam profiling system consists of a detector or detector array, and analysis software used to capture, display, and record the spatial intensity profile or power density distribution of a laser beam. We talked with several beam-profiler manufacturers to find out what buyers need to know to buy the right product for their laser. Who needs a laser-beam profiler? Designers and users who need to optimize the specifications of their laser or laser system, says Allen Cary, marketing manager at Photon (SanJose, CA). "That means just about anybody who's trying to use a laser to do something, with the possible exception of a laser pointer," says Cary. Typically, applications that require careful monitoring or measuring of the laser-beam width include laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) systems, laser printers, LIDAR systems, laser cutting, and nonlinear optics, to name just a few. Beam profilers are also used for pointing accuracy, for example, in pinpointing a beam's location before it makes a cut.