ABSTRACT
As explained in Chapters 2 through 10, laser beam shaping is a process whereby the irradiance of the laser beam is changed along its cross section. In some cases, the laser beam is shaped so that it is uniform or top hat. In other cases, it is given a different shape such as a Gaussian or super-Gaussian. For laser beam shaping to be effective, it is necessary to be able to measure the degree to which the irradiance pattern or beam profile has been modified by the shaping medium. In some cases, the beam shaping requires a specific input beam. For example, in many cases, the input beam must be Gaussian for the shaping to create an undistorted top-hat beam. In this case, the profile of the input beam must be measured to assure that it is close enough to the desired Gaussian distribution. If the input beam does not have the proper profile, measurements will inform the user that adjustments to the source must be made before attempting to perform laser beam shaping. Therefore, laser beam profile analysis is an essential part of effective laser beam shaping.
