Measuring Laser Power
The High Amplification Laser pressure Optic (HALO) was developed by NIST to measure kilowatts of laser power with best-in-class accuracy. Optical power is determined by measuring the force a laser beam exerts when it is reflected by the HALO’s central mirror. Thirteen smaller mirrors redirect the beam toward the central mirror, multiplying the force and reducing the measurement uncertainty. This image was captured with a green HeNe laser, traced out with a white card to show the beam path.
[Second place, OPN 2020 Photo Contest]
—Aly Artusio-Glimpse, NIST, Gaithersburg, MD, USA