Beam divergence power stability and pulse width in compact solid state lasers
Introduction: Beam divergence, power stability, beam diameter, and pulse width help readers interpret compact Q-switched solid-state laser output without overreading stability claims. A compact diode-pumped solid-state laser is often judged through a small group of specification terms before a reader ever sees a beam profile, test report, or integration drawing. Values such as ≤4mrad divergence, 6mm beam diameter, ≤10ns pulse width, and ≤8% RMS power stability are useful because they describe how the laser output behaves in space and time. They are not, however, complete guarantees of beam quality, zero drift, long-term lifetime, or final acceptance performance under every operating condition. Beam divergence and beam diameter describe output behavior, not complete beam quality Beam divergence tells a reader how quickly the laser beam spreads as it travels away from the output aperture. In a compact Q-switched solid-state laser, this matters because a beam that spreads more ...