Overcoming The Challenges Of Measuring High Power NIR Lasers

A variety of applications and production rates require periodic checkups or constant tracking of parameters, to ensure process control and quality assurance. Parameters to be tracked can include spot size, beam shape/mode, focusing position, M2, and laser power/energy. While laser power/energy can be measured by a conventional thermopile sensor with water cooling, other parameters such as spot size, beam shape, focal position, and M2 require more advanced techniques to measure high power laser parameters without distorting them or damaging the analytical equipment. This white paper discusses the challenges of measuring high power NIR lasers and presents a number of solutions to them.