Laser beam characterization results for a high-power cw Nd:YAG laser

David M. Keicher

doi:10.1117/12.206981

17 April 1995 Laser beam characterization results for a high-power cw Nd:YAG laser

David M. Keicher

Proceedings Volume 2375, Beam Control, Diagnostics, Standards, and Propagation; (1995) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.206981
Event: Photonics West '95, 1995, San Jose, CA, United States

Abstract

In an effort to understand multimode laser beam propagation characteristics for better development of laser material processing applications, beam diagnostic experiments were performed on a 1800 watt cw Nd:YAG laser. Beam diameter data were acquired at approximately 12 positions along the beam optical axis about the minimum waist created by a long focal length single element lens at several power levels. These data were then used to evaluate the laser output beam characteristics using two differing techniques. For the ISO technique, two data points from the beam diameter data were used in determining the output laser beam characteristics. These points were the beam minimum waist diameter and the diameter at a point along the beam optical axis where the beam diameter had increased to approximately 0.7 times that of the beam minimum waist diameter. The second analysis technique involved fitting the entire data set to theoretical equations used to describe the multimode laser beam propagation and points from the fitted curve fit were then used to determine the output beam characteristics from the laser. For all power levels evaluated, calculated results predicting the laser beam minimum waist location were in agreement with measured values and more consistent using the curve-fit technique than the two-point evaluation technique.

Citation Download Citation

David M. Keicher "Laser beam characterization results for a high-power cw Nd:YAG laser", Proc. SPIE 2375, Beam Control, Diagnostics, Standards, and Propagation, (17 April 1995); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.206981

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