Laser Beam Characteristics

uday singh
M.Sc Physics
Roll No-16510092
uday.singh@iitgn.ac.in

Jan 09,2017

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Physics Lab Report IIT GANDHINAGAR

Contents
1 Objective 3

2 Theory 3

3 Observations 4
3.1 Experimental Readings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3.1.1 Position at Z axis z=300mm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
3.1.2 Position at Z axis at z=325mm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
3.1.3 For angle of polarisation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
3.2 Data Plots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

4 Calculations 10

5 Conclusion 11

6 Precautions and sources of error 11

7 References 11

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Physics Lab Report IIT GANDHINAGAR

1 Objective
To study the Gaussian nature of laser beam.
To evaluate the diameter of laser Beam(Spot size) .
To measure the divergence.
To Study the polarization nature of the laser.

2 Theory
Laser (Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation) is an intense, highly direc-
tional, nearly monochromatic and coharent electromagnetic energy source. The term LASER is the

Figure 1: Basic structure of Laser1

acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. It is a mechanism for emit-
ting electromagnetic radiation via the process of stimulated emission. The laser was the first device
capable of amplifying light waves themselves. The emitted laser light is a spatially coherent, narrow
low-divergence beam. When the waves(or photons) of a beam of light have the same frequency,
phase and direction, it is said to be coherent . There are lasers that emit a broad spectrum of
light, or emit different wavelengths of light simultaneously. A diode laser is an electrically pumped
semiconductor laser in which active medium is formed by highly doped p-n junction.
Beam Spot size:Beam spot size is the measure of radius of laser beam .the irradiance capacity
of beam actually decreases gradually across the edges thats why we take distance between point
at which max output current and 0.135 of max output currenet.
From the curve we find the position at which the current is maximum and the position at which
the current is e12 the maximum current. The distance between these two position gives the radius
of spot size. Let the distance is dx along X-axis and dy along Y-axis.Then the spot size is of order
2dx *2dy .
Divergence angle of the beam: It is the angle by which the outer rays diverges with respect
to central rays of the beam.Due to this divergence the width of the beam between two points of
the path differ. If the divergence angle is and width at x1 is 2dx1 and at x2 is 2dx2 then

= tan1 ( d(zz22 d
z1 ) )
z1

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Physics Lab Report IIT GANDHINAGAR

Figure 2: Intensity variation plot for Gaussian beam2

Figure 3: Angle of divergance3

3 Observations
3.1 Experimental Readings
Wavelength of the diode laser = 650nm

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Physics Lab Report IIT GANDHINAGAR

3.1.1 Position at Z axis z=300mm

Sr. Distance travelled Output current
No. In X direction(mm) (A)
1 15.0 30.3
2 14.5 39.4
3 14.0 48.6
Sr. Distance travelled Output current
4 13.5 58.8
No. In Y direction(mm) (A)
5 13.0 69.0
1 15 61.6
6 12.5 81.2
2 14.5 76.3
7 12.0 91.7
3 14.0 92.2
8 11.5 102.4
4 13.5 108.7
9 11.0 112.2
5 13.0 123.6
10 10.5 123.0
6 12.5 142.4
11 10.0 133.6
7 12.0 147.8
12 9.5 143.5
8 11.5 159.2
13 9.0 149.5
9 11.0 166.4
14 8.5 152.2
10 10.5 166.8
15 8.0 152.7
11 10.0 166.0
16 7.5 155.3
12 9.5 161.5
17 7.0 154.3
13 9.0 151.6
18 6.5 159.0
14 8.5 141.8
19 6.0 162.6
15 8.0 130.2
20 5.5 164.7
16 7.5 115.3
21 5.0 165.1
17 7.0 97.6
22 4.5 164.5
18 6.5 80.5
23 4.0 163.2
19 6.0 64.3
24 3.5 154.6
20 5.5 52.7
25 3.0 145.6
21 5.0 33.2
26 2.5 136.5
22 4.5 22.3
27 2.0 123.4
28 1.5 104.2
29 1.0 92.5
30 0.5 77.7
31 0.0 66.7

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Physics Lab Report IIT GANDHINAGAR

3.1.2 Position at Z axis at z=325mm

Sr. Distance travelled Output current
No. In X direction(mm) (A)
1 0.0 26.9
2 0.5 38.2
3 1.0 49.5
4 1.5 65.9
Sr. Distance travelled Output current
5 2.0 78.9
No. In Y direction(mm) (A)
6 2.5 105.2
1 17.5 30.7
7 3.0 112.9
2 17.0 41.2
8 3.5 125.0
3 16.5 50.0
9 4.0 139.7
4 16.0 60.4
10 4.5 153.3
5 15.5 84.5
11 5.0 160.7
6 15.0 115.6
12 5.5 161.3
7 14.5 138.4
13 6.0 160.5
8 14.0 157.2
14 6.5 156.4
9 13.5 160.8
15 7.0 159.7
10 13.0 155.0
16 7.5 158.2
11 12.5 142.4
17 8.0 144.6
12 12.0 132.2
18 8.5 126.6
13 11.5 114.4
19 9.0 113.9
14 11.0 96.9
20 9.5 104.2
15 10.5 80.8
21 10.0 96.3
16 10.0 59.3
22 10.5 90.9
17 9.5 43.3
23 11.0 81.0
18 9.0 29.7
24 11.5 70.6
25 12.0 58.7
26 12.5 44.7
27 13.0 29.0
28 13.5 18.1
29 14.0 9.0

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Physics Lab Report IIT GANDHINAGAR

3.1.3 For angle of polarisation

Sr. No. Angle on the polariser (Degrees) Output Current(A)
1 0 12.8
2 10 23.2
3 20 34.2
4 30 44.5
5 40 57.3
6 50 63.9
7 60 69.6
8 70 65.8
9 80 64.2
10 90 56.4
11 100 45.4
12 110 34.3
13 120 23.2
14 130 12.8
15 140 4.9
16 150 0.8
17 160 0.5
18 170 4.0
19 180 10.9
20 190 20.9
21 200 32.0
22 210 44.1
23 220 55.4
24 230 67.1
25 240 67.2
26 250 67.6
27 260 61.9
28 270 53.3
29 280 46.1
30 290 33.5
31 300 21.8
32 310 11.2
33 320 4.0
34 330 0.5
35 340 0.8
36 350 4.6
37 360 12.3

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Physics Lab Report IIT GANDHINAGAR

3.2 Data Plots

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Physics Lab Report IIT GANDHINAGAR

4 Calculations
For beam spot size at z2 =300mm:

Diameter in X direction(d2 )=19mm

Diameter in Y directionn =12mm

For beam spot size at z1 =325mm:

Diameter in X direction(d1 )=16mm

Diameter in Y directionn =9mm

For angle of divergence:

dz2 dz1
= tan1
|(z2 z1 )|

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Physics Lab Report IIT GANDHINAGAR

d1 =16mm
d2 =19mm
d=25mm

3
= tan1
(25)

= 6.84o

As seen by plot the angle of polarisation = 65o

5 Conclusion
The Gaussian nature of the laser beam has been verified by the experiment. Also very small angle
of divergence shows that laser beams are highly convergent.

6 Precautions and sources of error

1. Never look directly into the Laser beam.
2. Always set maximum intensity in all directions so that variations are considerable.
3. Orientation of laser diode should be proper.

7 References
1. http://www.avio.co.jp/english/products/assem/principle/laser/configuration.html
2. https://sites.google.com/a/iitgn.ac.in/ph102/
3. http://www.edmundoptics.com/resources/application-notes/lasers/beam-expanders
4. Optics by Ajoy Ghatak
5. Experimental physics by B. Ghosh

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