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Specifications of a Laser. Beam Diameter: The beam diameter refers to the diameter of the laser beam measured at the exit face of the laser housing. The beam diameter can be defined in several different ways, and for Gaussian beams it is typically described by the 1/e 2 width.
The difference between a laser’s actual beam profile and that of an ideal beam is often described through metrics including a laser’s M 2 factor. More information about beam profiles and characterizing beam quality can be found in our Gaussian Beam Propagation and Beam Shape, Beam Quality, and Strehl Ratio application notes .
The beam radius indicates the transverse extension of a light beam, often based on the second moment of the intensity profile.
Laser specifications describe properties of a laser system, including performance parameters, dimensions, and operating conditions.
A well defined beam quality (BQ) metric for high energy lasers can be developed based on a Power in the Bucket (PIB) concept already used in the laser community, but not well defined. PIB refers to the fraction of total power
This chapter reviews the characterization of a laser device by its beam power, propagation of the beam width (beam propagation ratio), the positional stability of the beam, the wavefront of the beam, and the lifetime of the device.
Class 1 lasers are very low risk and "safe under reasonably foreseeable use", including the use of optical instruments for intrabeam viewing. Class 1M lasers have wavelengths between 302.5 nm and 4000 nm, and are safe except when used with optical aids (e.g. binoculars).
