Tech Briefs

High power lasers typically operate at elevated power levels, from several watts to hundreds of kilowatts. This results in higher temperatures and greater material removal rates. High power lasers are commonly used in directed energy applications, such as drone and missile defense, and industrial processes, such as cutting and drilling of thick workpieces. These applications are demanding; the laser’s focal spot and beam profile need to be kept within spec to achieve the required part quality and establish a reproducible process. Understanding the process is accomplished with laser measurement instruments.

The sort of measurement instruments that work with high power are advanced and sophisticated. After helping so many customers deal with avoidable problems, we felt it would be useful to offer information that helps users of such instruments get the best performance out of them – and the longest lifetime.

In this article, we look at understanding power density and damage thresholds, causes of laser power sensor damage, beam alignment and centering, and best practices for safe and accurate high power measurement.

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