North Logan, UT - Ophir Photonics, a Newport Corp. brand, released the 30K-W laser power meter at LASER World of Photonics. The latest addition to the company's line of very high power laser detectors, the 30K-W meter was created for material processing lasers used in such applications as metal cutting and welding.
The power meter features a unique design that allows direct measurement of very high powers and power densities. The power range is from 100 W to 30 kW. It measures YAG and fiber lasers in the 800 to 2000 nm range and CO2 lasers at 10.6 microns. A wide aperture of 74 mm allows it to handle large diameter beams.
"Traditionally, high power lasers have been measured with methods that use the flow rate and temperature of the sensor's coolant to estimate the power of the absorbed beam," stated Ephraim Greenfield, CTO, Ophir Photonics. "These approaches are slow, bulky, and complicated because the sensor is sensitive to issues related to water flow. The 30K-W power meter uses the same proven design as the popular 10K-W meter. The devices directly measure actual heat flow through the sensor disc. The result is faster response time, higher maximum power densities, and more reliable measurements."
The power meter is based on thermopile technology. A reflective cone deflects the laser beam onto the inner circumference of the sensor. This increases the radiated area and reduces the power density to manageable levels. The response time is less than 10 seconds. It can withstand a maximum average power density of up to 10 kW/cm2.