Techniques for accurately measuring laser beam width with commercial CCD cameras

Abstract

CCD cameras are very useful instruments for the measurement of laser beam profiles and beam width. A principal advantage of CCD cameras is that they measure the entire beam cross-section simultaneously. However, camera noise and baseline offset can create significant errors in beam width measurements if not processed properly. Techniques have been developed that effectively compensate for both problems and enable very accurate measurements. These techniques are described, along with examples of the measurement accuracy under varying conditions. Additional signal processing is described that further enhances the ability to make accurate measurements.