Power meter measures 120kW lasers

The meter measures high power beams at a distance past the focal spot of the laser or, alternatively, at a distance from the diverging fibre output where the beam has expanded to about 100mm diameter. A reflective cone in the meter deflects the laser beam onto the inner circumference of the sensor, increasing the radiated area and reducing the power density. By capturing over 99% of the radiation when it dissipates the beam, the cone minimises safety hazards. At less than 1 minute, the response time of the 120K-W is significantly less than the time required by custom, non-commercial systems.

The device is compact, consisting of a beam dump and a water flow power measurement unit. Provided with software that displays and graphs the power and water flow rate, the meter connects to a PC via RS-232. A smart connector output displays power readings on any of the company’s smart displays.

"Lasers are pushing the power envelope to unprecedented levels and, as a result, are encouraging new material processing applications in fabricated metals, additive manufacturing and medical devices," said Ephraim Greenfield, CTO, Ophir Photonics. "Measurement and control are critical at these high powers. But traditional power meters that use absorbing surfaces only measure laser powers up to 30kW. To get to 120kW, we needed a unique design that minimises back reflections and scattering, as well as dissipates heat. Light is therefore less likely to escape and heat transfer is improved."