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M² and High-order Modes
M Squared |April 27, 2016
M² is a measurement that was originally designed to determine the quality of a real beam in comparison to a theoretically perfect fundamental mode Gaussian beam (Siegman 1990). Although many lasers are designed to output a fundamental mode Gaussian beam, imperfections and/or cavity design in the laser will often cause superimposed higher-order transverse modes.
M² Measurement
M Squared |April 12, 2016
As leaders in the laser beam profiling business, we have worked with M² for decades. In this blog post we discuss M², when to use it, and the way it is measured.
DataRay Inc. Announces WinCamD-LCM-NE NIR-Enhanced CMOS Beam Profiler
Press Releases |April 1, 2016
DataRay Inc., the worldwide leader in laser beam profiling and analysis, is pleased to announce the availability of a new, NIR-Enhanced version of the popular WinCamD-LCM CMOS beam profiler.
CMOS vs. CCD Sensors
Beam Profiling Cameras |March 29, 2016
CMOS and CCD image sensor technology was developed in the 1960s. Although for the last forty years CCD sensors have dominated the market, improvements in CMOS sensor design have catapulted them to a growing market share and the CMOS seems poised to replace the CCD in many applications.
Small Beam Width Theoretical and Experimental Error
Beam Profiling Concepts |March 14, 2016
One of the most important measurements in laser beam profiling is the beam width measurement. A common question we see is “How small of a beam can I measure with this camera?”
Flat-Top Beams and Plateau Uniformity Calculations
Beam Profiling Concepts |February 26, 2016
A flat-top beam (otherwise known as a top-hat) is used in various applications where a controlled profile is desired (i.e. a uniform density across the irradiated surface). Passing a Gaussian beam through special optics will create the flat-top beam and is the most common way of generating a flat-top beam. Uniform excimer beams are used in many material processing applications (e.g. creating integrated circuits). Industries such as welding, drilling, and medicine also make extensive use of flat-top beams.