In this paper we propose a calibration procedure that allows beam characterization based on power content (or any other reasonable) beam widths. Once the characterization is done, the beam width behind ABCD-systems can be predicted with sufficient accuracy. This general characterization procedure is based on two fundamental ideas. Firstly, it is assumed that the free-space propagation of any beam width is hyperbolical with deviation near the waist. The second starting point is the fact that the structure of the intensity distribution that a given beam can take on behind an ABCD-system depends only on the quantity B/A (where A and B are elements of the geometrical ray matrix). We present a simple set-up, consisting of two parts, that allows the measurement of both the three parameters and the calibration function.

Date Published: 17 April 1995
PDF: 9 pages
Proc. SPIE 2375, Beam Control, Diagnostics, Standards, and Propagation, (17 April 1995); doi: 10.1117/12.206983

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 2375:
Beam Control, Diagnostics, Standards, and Propagation
Lindsay W. Austin; Adolf Giesen; Daniel H. Leslie, Editor(s)