Document No 50398-001 Rev F 02 Aug 2020
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Chapter 1 Information
1.1 Introduction
BeamWatch
is the laser industry’s first completely non
-interfering beam monitoring system, which allows beam
measurements without contacting the laser beam. Measurements are taken by imaging the Rayleigh scatter of the beam
from the side using conventional cameras making BeamWatch ideal for measurements of high power lasers. Ophir-
Spiricon has measured beams up to 100 kilowatts.
BeamWatch provides simultaneous measurements of multiple profiles along the beam caustic in the camera field-of-view
(FOV). The speed of measurement operates at video rates allowing for real-time determination of:
•
waist (focus spot) width and location
•
focal shift
•
centroid
•
M
2
or K
•
divergence
•
Beam Parameter Product
•
Rayleigh length
•
relative power
Real-time performance also allows for measurement of dynamic focal shift during laser startup.
The technique is based on Rayleigh scattering of laser light by oxygen and nitrogen molecules in the air as the beam
propagates. Measurement of this scattered light provides an equivalent slit scan of the laser beam in the direction of the
view observed. The scattered light is measured using conventional CCDs and image capture systems.
BeamWatch has GigE connectivity to standard personal computers for data acquisition, analysis, and display.
