In modern scientific and industrial laser applications, inter-alignment of multiple optical devices is frequently a basic requirement to meet a certain specification and performance. However, the designed optical system combining mechanical elements, lasers and optical sights in various wavelengths frequently deviates from specified goals due to real life imperfections and effects. These may include mechanical tolerances, optical distortion, heating, laser cavity misalignment, overall instabilities, and non-linear effects. In order to deliver accurately and produce intricate optical systems, a carefully designed method for inter-alignment is required completing and updating the already existing methods. Thus, we designed and upgraded the performance of electronic autocollimator and combined it with innovative mechanical manipulation of optical invariants such as a Lateral Transfer Hollow Periscope to greatly improve and expand inter-alignment procedures. Depending on the combination of optical sights, laser types, and mechanical requirements, an appropriate method will be analyzed. For example, several layouts will be analyzed such as high power CO2 laser cavity alignment and laser delivery system mechanical rollers alignment. By completing the presented gear in this article other instruments such as Align Meter, Lateral Hollow Periscope (LTHPTM), Lateral Hollow Retroreflector ( LTHRTM) are available for applications such as alignment of articulated beam delivery systems.
The reality in laser beam profiling is that measurements are performed over a wide spectrum of wavelengths and power ranges. Many applications use multiple laser wavelengths with very different power levels, a fact which dictates a need for a better measuring tool. Rapid progress in the fiber laser area has increased the demand for lasers in the wavelength range of 900 - 1030 nm, while the telecommunication market has increased the demand for wavelength range of 1300nm - 1600 nm, on the other hand the silicone chip manufacturing and mass production requirements tend to lower the laser wavelength towards the 190nm region. In many cases there is a need to combine several lasers together in order to perform a specific task. A typical application is to combine one visible laser for pointing, with a different laser for material processing with a very different wavelength and power level. The visible laser enables accurate pointing before the second laser is operated. The beam profile of the intensity distribution is an important parameter that indicates how a laser beam will behave in an application. Currently a lab, where many different lasers are used, will find itself using various laser beam profilers from several vendors with different specifications and accuracies. It is the propose of this article to present a technological breakthrough in the area of detectors, electronics and optics allowing intricate measurements of lasers with different wavelength and with power levels that vary many orders of magnitude by a single beam profiler.
In various modern scientific and industrial laser applications, beam-shaping optics manipulates the laser spot size and its intensity distribution. However the designed laser spot frequently deviates from the design goal due to real life imperfections and effects, such as: input laser distortions, optical distortion, heating, overall instabilities, and non-linear effects. Lasers provide the ability to accurately deliver large amounts of energy to a target area with very high accuracy. Thus monitoring beam size power and beam location is of high importance for high quality results and repeatability. Depending on the combination of wavelength, beam size and pulse duration , laser energy is absorbed by the material surface, yielding into processes such as cutting, welding, surface treatment, brazing and many other applications. This article will cover the aspect of laser beam measurements, especially at the focal point where it matters the most. A brief introduction to the material processing interactions will be covered, followed by fundamentals of laser beam propagation, novel measurement techniques, actual measurement and brief conclusions.
Experiments in a bubble column type reactor in a chemical oxygen-iodine laser system applying high flow rates of chlorine mixed with buffer gas have been carried out. A model which accounts for the physical processes in this system is presented. It is shown that the model can describe our system as well as other systems where buffer gas was not used.
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