LBP2 User Guide
Document No: 50306-001
Rev G 3/12/2020
Page 78
Beam Width Measurements Using Knife-Edge Techniques by Siegman,
Sasnett and Johnston.
3)
A user programmable method is also provided for users that wish to tune
the process to best model their beam’s mode content.
The ISO 16/84 method presets the Clip% values to 16% and 84% respectively,
and the Multiplier to 2.0. Best for beams that are mostly TEM
00
.
The 10/90 method presets the Clip% values to 10% and 90% respectively, and
the Multiplier to 1.561. These are the recommended values based upon the above
Siegman, et al. paper, and are very compatible with CCD camera noise figures.
These values are perfectly correct for computing an equivalent second moment
width for TEM
00
beams, and are a good approximation for many beams of mixed
modes.
The third Knife Edge selection will allow programming the Clip% and Multiplier
values. To use this option successfully requires advanced knowledge of the beams
modal content.
All Knife Edge Diameters are the computed average of the orthogonal beam
widths.
When rotated beam results are disabled, the computed beam widths will be
aligned with a pair of simulated knife-edges cutting one in each of the X and Y
directions. Hence, the displayed beam widths will be indicated in the results
window as X and Y. If the laser beam is not radially symmetric but does contain
two axes of symmetry, rotate the beam such that the beam's axes align with the X
and Y axes of the display.
When rotated beam results are enabled, the computed beam widths will be
aligned with a pair of simulated knife-edges cutting one in each of the Major and
Minor axial directions. Hence, the displayed beam widths will be indicated in the
results window as M/Major and m/minor. The implication is that the displayed
values represent the major and minor widths of an elliptically shaped laser beam.
Note: Rotated beam results are enabled whenever one of the following results items
are enabled: Orientation, Ellipticity, Eccentricity.
5.9.3
Percent of Total Power/Energy Method
D%tX/M, D%tY/m, D%t
LBP2 measures the lengths of two orthogonal lines that pass through the beam
centroid. The beam widths are determined by separately looking out along each
line and count all the pixels that are greater than the set clip level. The reported
beam widths are the number of pixels greater than the clip level multiplied by the
pixel pitch.