A real-time method for monitoring the three-dimensional extent of high power cw laser beams

Abstract

A simple and very accurate method is presented that allows not only one section of a cw laser beam to be studied in real-time but the full three-dimensional extent of its mode profile. The use of a ball-bearing to controllably defocus extremely high beam power densities in two planes is a novel approach which has been successfully used for beam measurements applied to laser-induced oxidation, and laser annealing of silicon. Although specifically applied to the infra-red regime, this technique may be extended to the study of visible radiation by using the appropriate detectors.