High
Power CW Nd:YAG Cavity
Spacing vs. Brightness
The optical rail design of U.S. Laser’s high power CW
Nd:YAG laser system provides for significant versatility in matching the output
power and beam quality to the requirements of the application.
Optical components like the laser cavity mirrors and laser
head are mounted on separate carriages, which are installed on a laser rail. The
spacing of the laser cavity mirrors from the laser head determines the laser
beam output quality and power. These parameters define beam brightness and
focused spot size. A close cavity configuration with a 600 or 800 micron core
diameter fiber can be used for welding and cladding applications. A spread
cavity configuration with a 400 micron core diameter fiber provides for a
smaller spot for cutting or other applications requiring higher brightness.
The table below details beam divergence and diameter
measurements (D*theta product) for U.S. Laser Corporation’s high power CW
Nd:YAG laser model 408-1 with various cavity spread configurations.
Table 1. 408-1 D*Theta versus Cavity
Spacing
|
Laser Cavity Mirror
Spacing (inches) |
Laser
Power (watts)1 |
Laser
Lamp Current (amps) |
Divergence,
theta (milli-radians)1 |
Beam
Diameter, D (mm)1 |
D*theta
Product |
|
1 (close cavity) |
650 |
48 |
25 |
4.85 |
120 |
|
2 |
550 |
44 |
17 |
4.8 |
80 |
|
4 |
400 |
38 |
11 |
4.6 |
50 |
|
4 |
450 |
42 |
15 |
4.6 |
70 |
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