Focal spot monitoring of a high power fiber laser

A new laser focal spot analyzer system has been developed that permits the real time measurement of a high power fiber laser in excess of tens of kilowatts which can provide the laser’s spatial profile, circularity, centroid, astigmatism and M-squared values using all the optics used in the process application, including the focus lens and cover glass. This novel beam analyzer system is both compact, real time and has no moving parts by incorporating an all passive optical design, thereby accommodating the measurement of the focused beam waist: spot diameter, M-squared, Rayleigh length, beam waist position and many other beam parameters to power levels in excess of 20 kW in real time and in less than one second from laser off to laser on.