Novel Laser Power Sensor Technology for Process Control

The need to measure laser output characteristics, including average power, pulse energy, and pulse shape, is a common requirement across many industrial and research applications. However, this need takes on particular significance in industrial processes since even minor variations in laser characteristics can lead directly to producing scrap product or create the need for rework. Unfortunately, the traditional methods for measuring high power industrial lasers are slow, which may necessitate interrupting production, with an associated cost impact. Presented here is new technology that enables high speed average power, peak power and pulse shape measurements of industrial lasers, thus solving this problem.