Ophir Photonics has introduced its NanoModeScan M2 laser beam propagation analyser, enabling quantitative measurement and viewing of high power CO2 laser beams. The system is easy to setup and align; the straight line of sight design means little or no attenuation is required. NanoModeScan is also fast; an M2 measurement can be made in as little as 20 seconds. In addition, the system reports beam waist diameter and location, divergence, and the beam's Rayleigh range for each axis. The NanoModeScan's ease of use and fast update rate (up to 20Hz) make it ideal for CO2 laser-based material processing, machining, and marking applications where laser performance needs to be adjusted in real-time.
The NanoModeScan M2 combines the flexibility and speed of Photon Inc's NanoScan near-field profiler with dedicated M2 measurement hardware and software. The system provides automated measurement of M2 either the ISO 11146 or Rayleigh method. It reports such parameters as M2 times diffraction limit, K beam propagation factor, d0 beam waist size, Z0 beam waist location, ø divergence, and Zr Rayleigh range. The system's software controlled variable scan speed allows the measurement of both CW and kHz pulsed lasers, covering the entire wavelength range from UV to FIR.
Both 200mm and 400mm lenses are available to generate the proper artificial waist for the laser source under test. For ease of alignment, the system includes an entrance iris on the optical axis and a precision alignment stage for horizontal and vertical positioning.