Laser beam characterization results for a high power CW Nd:YAG laser
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.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-94AL85000
- OSTI ID:
- 10112093
- Report Number(s):
- SAND-94-2206C; CONF-950226-1; ON: DE95006319; BR: GB0103012
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: SPIE `95: SPIE conference on optics, electro-optics, and laser application in science, engineering and medicine,San Jose, CA (United States),5-14 Feb 1995; Other Information: PBD: [1994]
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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