M2MS BP209Manual

Thorlabs Beam
Beam Analyzing Software
BP209
M2MS-BP209
Operation Manual
2018
Version: 7.0
Date: 09-Jul-2018
Copyright © 2018 Thorlabs

Contents
Foreword 5
1 General Information 6
1.1 Safety 6
2 Getting Started 7
2.1 Ordering Codes and Accessories 7
2.2 Unpacking 8
2.3 Preparation 10
2.4 Requirements 10
2.5 Installation 11
2.5.1 Software Installation 11
2.5.2 Connection to the PC 17
2.5.3 Start the Application 17
3 Operating Elements 19
3.1 Rotation Mount 19
3.2 Mounting Plate 20
4 Operating Principle 21
5 The Graphics User Interface (GUI) 22
5.1 Menu Bar 23
5.1.1 File Menu 23
5.1.2 Control Menu 24
5.1.3 Options Menu 24
5.1.4 Windows Menu 28
5.1.5 View Menu 28
5.1.6 Help Menu 29
5.2 Tool Bar 30
5.3 Status Bar 31
5.4 Save Settings 31
5.5 Beam Settings 32
5.5.1 Optical Setup 33
5.5.1.1 Wavelength 33
5.5.1.2 Power Correction 34
5.5.2 Beam Profiler Information 35
5.5.3 Slit Beam Profiler Parameter 36
5.5.3.1 Gain, Bandwidth and Baseline 37
5.5.3.2 Scan Rate 37
5.5.3.3 Miscellaneous 38
5.5.4 Calculation Parameter 38
5.5.4.1 Calculation Area 39
5.5.4.2 Averaging Mode 41
5.5.4.3 Clip Level 41
5.5.4.4 Hold Maximum 41
5.5.4.5 Autoscale to Peak 41
5.5.4.6 Correct Beam Width 41
5.5.4.7 Reference Position 42
5.5.4.8 Unit 42
5.5.5 Plot Over Time Parameter 43
5.5.6 Translation Stage Control 44
5.6 Child Windows 45
5.6.1 2D Reconstruction 46
5.6.2 3D Profile 48
5.6.3 X and Y Profiles 50
5.6.4 Zooming and Panning Diagrams 52
5.6.5 Calculation Results 52
5.6.6 Manual Vergence Measurement 56
5.6.7 Tuning View 58
5.6.8 Beam Overlapping 60
5.6.9 Plots 62
5.6.9.1 Plot Positions 63
5.6.9.2 Plot Power 64
5.6.9.3 Plot Gaussian Fit 65
5.6.9.4 Plot Environment Data 66
5.6.9.5 Beam Stability 67
6 Measurement with the Beam Profiler 69
6.1 Operating the Instrument 69
6.2 Pass/Fail Test 71
6.3 Save Measurement Results 73
6.3.1 Export Device Data 73
6.3.2 Print Windows 76
6.3.3 Save Test Protocol 77
6.4 Pulsed Laser Sources 79
6.5 Knife Edge Mode 81
7 Beam Quality (M²) Measurement 84
7.1 General 84
7.2 Hardware Extensions 86
7.3 M2MS Operating Principle 87
7.4 Beam Diameter Requirements 88
7.5 M² Meter Extension Set 89
7.6 M² Meter Set with BP209 Slit Beam Profiler 90
7.7 Setting Up 91
7.7.1 Mounting the Beam Profiler 93
7.7.2 Connection to the PC 94
7.8 M² Measurement 96
7.8.1 Beam Alignment 96
7.8.1.1 Coarse Alignment 97
7.8.1.2 Fine Alignment 98
7.8.2 M² Measurement Panel 105
7.8.3 M² Settings 107
7.8.4 Saving the M² Measurement Results 109
7.8.4.1 Saving M² Test Results 109
7.8.4.2 Saving Beam Profile Data During M² Measurement 111
7.8.5 Running the M² Measurement 113
7.8.6 M² Measurement Results 114
7.8.7 M² Troubleshooting 118
7.9 Divergence Measurement 121
7.9.1 Beam Alignment 121
7.9.1.1 Coarse Alignment 122
7.9.1.2 Fine Alignment 123
7.9.1.3 Divergence Beam Alignment Wizard 125
7.9.2 Divergence Measurement Panel 129
7.9.3 Divergence Measurement Settings 131
7.9.4 Saving the Divergence Measurement Results 132
7.9.5 Running the Divergence Measurement 132
7.9.6 Divergence Measurement Results 133
7.10 M² Theory 134
8 Write Your Own Application 137
8.1 32 bit Operating System 138
8.2 64 bit Operating System 140
9 Maintenance and Repair 142
9.1 Version and Other Information 142
9.2 Cleaning 142
9.3 Troubleshooting 143
9.3.1 Warnings and Errors 144
10 Application Note 146
10.1 Coordinate Systems 146
10.2 Raw Data Measurements 146
10.3 Ellipse (Fitted) 147
10.4 X-Y-Profile Measurement 148
10.5 Gaussian Fit Measurement 148
10.6 Bessel Fit 149
11 Appendix 150
11.1 Technical Data Beam Profiler 150
11.2 Technical Data M2MS-BP209 151
11.3 Technical Data M2MS Extension Sets 152
11.4 Typical Photodiode Response Curves 153
11.5 Power Ranges 155
11.6 Initial Settings 156
11.7 Drawing BP209 157
11.8 Slit and Photodiode Position 159
11.9 Drawing BP209 Mounting Adapter 160
11.10 Drawing M2MS-BP209 161
11.11 Compatibility with Older Hardware 162
11.12 List of Acronyms 163
11.13 Thorlabs 'End of Life' Policy (WEEE) 164
11.14 List of Symbols 165
11.15 Certifications and Compliances 166
11.16 Warranty 167
11.17 Exclusion of Reliability and Copyright 168
11.18 Thorlabs Worldwide Contacts 169
We aim to develop and produce the best solution for your application
in the field of optical measurement technique. To help us to live up to
your expectations and constantly improve our products we need
your ideas and suggestions. Therefore, please let us know about
possible criticism or ideas. We and our international partners are
looking forward to hearing from you.
Thorlabs GmbH
Warning
Sections marked by this symbol explain dangers that might result in
personal injury or death. Always read the associated information
carefully, before performing the indicated procedure.
Attention
Paragraphs preceded by this symbol explain hazards that could
damage the instrument and the connected equipment or may cause
loss of data.
Note
This manual also contains "NOTES" and "HINTS" written in this form.
Please read this advice carefully!
© 2018 Thorlabs 5
BP209
1 General Information
Thorlabs makes every effort to keep this manual as up to date as possible. For the latest ver-
sion of the manual please visit www.thorlabs.com.
This section contains general information about the Beam Profiler's safety.
1.1 Safety
Attention
The safety of any system incorporating the equipment is the responsibility of the assem-
bler of the system.
All statements regarding safety of operation and technical data in this instruction manual
will only apply when the unit is operated correctly as it was designed for.
The Beam Profiler must not be operated in explosion endangered environments! To pre-
vent the Beam Profiler from overheating, do not cover the instrument.
This precision device is only serviceable if properly packed into the complete original
packaging including the plastic foam sleeves. If necessary, ask for replacement pack-
aging. Refer servicing to qualified personnel!
Before applying power to the PC system used to operate the Beam Profiler, make sure
that the protective conductor of the 3 conductor mains power cord is correctly connec-
ted to the protective earth contact of the socket outlet! Improper grounding can cause
electric shock with damages to your health or even death!
The instrument must only be operated with a duly shielded and low resistance USB
cable delivered by Thorlabs.
Only with written consent from Thorlabs may changes to single components be carried
out or components not supplied by Thorlabs be used. Do not stick anything into the
aperture in the middle of the Beam Profiler front! You may damage the thin-skinned slits,
spoil the bearings of the motor and/or blockade the rotating drum because there is no
covering glass in front of it.
Warning
The M2MS M² Measurement System comes with an alignment laser that is powered by a
M2MS internal driver. Be careful when using this laser!
6 © 2018 Thorlabs
2 Getting Started
2 Getting Started
2.1 Ordering Codes and Accessories
Ordering Code Short Description

BP209-VIS Slit Beam Profiler, 200 - 1100 nm, 9 mm aperture, 5 and 25 µm slits,
imperial version
BP209-VIS/M Slit Beam Profiler, 200 - 1100 nm, 9 mm aperture, 5 and 25 µm slits,
metric version
BP209-IR Slit Beam Profiler, 900 - 1700 nm, 9 mm aperture, 5 and 25 µm slits,
imperial version
BP209-IR/M Slit Beam Profiler, 900 - 1700 nm, 9 mm aperture, 5 and 25 µm slits,
metric version
BP209-IR2 Slit Beam Profiler, 900 - 2700 nm, 9 mm aperture, 5 and 25 µm slits,
imperial version
BP209-IR2/M Slit Beam Profiler, 900 - 2700 nm, 9 mm aperture, 5 and 25 µm slits,
metric version
For beam quality (M²) measurement, Thorlabs offers hardware extension sets and complete M²
Measurement Systems:
Hardware Extension Sets:
Item Number Description
M2MS M2 Measurement System Extension Set
M2MS-AL M2 Measurement System Extension Set, 250 - 600 nm (aluminum mirrors)
M² Measurement System with Slit Beam Profiler

The M2MS-BP209 comprises the M2MS Extension and a mounted BP209 Beam Profiler. The
following models are available:
M2MS-BP209VIS-AL M2 Measurement System with BP209-VIS, 250 - 600 nm
M2MS-BP209VIS-AL/M M2 Measurement System with BP209-VIS, 250 - 600 nm, metric
M2MS-BP209VIS M2 Measurement System with BP209-VIS, 400 - 1100 nm
M2MS-BP209VIS/M M2 Measurement System with BP209-VIS, 400 - 1100 nm, metric
M2MS-BP209IR M2 Measurement System with BP209-IR, 900 - 1700 nm
M2MS-BP209IR/M M2 Measurement System with BP209-IR, 900 - 1700 nm, metric
M2MS-BP209IR2 M2 Measurement System with BP209-IR, 900 - 2700 nm
M2MS-BP209IR2/M M2 Measurement System with BP209-IR, 900 - 2700 nm, metric
Please visit our homepage http://www.thorlabs.com for further information.
© 2018 Thorlabs 7
BP209
2.2 Unpacking
Inspect the packaging for damage. If the shipping container seems to be damaged, keep it until
you have inspected the contents and you have inspected the instrument mechanically and elec-
trically.
Verify that you have received the following items:
· 1 BP209 Beam Profiler Instrument as an External Measurement Head with Dust Cover
· 1 USB 2.0 Cable A to Mini B, Length 3.0 m
· Quick Reference
If you have purchased a M² Meter Set M2MS-BP209:
1. M2MS-BP209VIS-AL (/M)
· M2MS-BP209VIS-AL (/M) Measurement System with mounted BP209-VIS (/M) Slit Beam
Profiler
· Power supply 100 to 240 V AC / 15 V 3 A DC
· Cable USB 2.0 A to Mini B, 3 m length
· Cable USB 2.0 A to Mini B, angled, 0.5 m length
· 1 pcs. 0.05" Hex Key
· M2MS Accessory Box UV, that includes:
· 1 pcs. LA4158-UV Plano Convex Lens, f = 250 mm, UV AR coating
· 1 pcs. LA1461-A Plano Convex Lens, f = 250 mm, AR coating 350 - 700 nm
· 4 pcs. CL6 Rail clamps
· 1 pcs. M2MS Adjustment laser
· 1 pcs. Ball Driver 3 mm
· 1 pcs. spare screw M4x10
2. M2MS-BP209VIS (/M)
· M2MS-BP209VIS (/M) Measurement System with mounted BP209-VIS (/M) Slit Beam
Profiler
· M2MS Accessory Box VIS, that includes:
· 1 pcs. LA1461-B Plano Convex Lens, f = 250 mm, AR coating 650 - 1050 nm
· 1 pcs. LA1461-C Plano Convex Lens, f = 250 mm, AR coating 1050 - 1700 nm
· 1 pcs. LA5255-D Plano Convex Lens, f = 250 mm, AR coating 1650 - 3000 nm
8 © 2018 Thorlabs
2 Getting Started
3. M2MS-BP209IR (/M)
· M2MS-BP209IR (/M) Measurement System with mounted BP209-IR (/M) Slit Beam Pro-
filer
4. M2MS-BP209IR2 (/M)
· M2MS-BP209IR2(/M) Measurement System with mounted BP209-IR2(/M) Slit Beam Pro-
filer
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BP209
2.3 Preparation
1. Install the Thorlabs Beam software on your computer as described in Software Installa-
tion 11 .
2. Connect the Beam Profiler using the supplied USB cable to the PC as described in Con-
nection to the PC 17 .
3. Remove the dust cover.
4. Mount the Beam Profiler instrument so that its optical aperture is exposed to the optical
beam.
5. Switch on your light source but be sure to not exceed the maximum allowed optical power
to the instrument. See Power Ranges 155 for details.
Attention
Please install the software prior to connecting the instrument to a PC via USB interface.
Use only the supplied high speed (USB 2.0) cable, not full speed (USB 1.1) cables or thin
profile cables with increased resistance, as this can cause transmission errors and im-
proper instrument operation!
2.4 Requirements
Minimum Hardware and Software Requirements:

· Operating system: Windows 7® (32 or 64 Bit), Windows 8.1® (32 or 64 Bit) or Windows
10® (32 or 64 Bit)
· NI-VISA™ Runtime 15.0 or higher
· USB 2.0 high speed port
·
· Processor: Pentium 4 (min. 2.6 GHz), Intel or A64 3000+ AMD (min 3.0 GHz), 4.0 GB
RAM
· OpenGL (specification GLX 1.3 up) compatible graphics adapter:
o
o
o
Recommended for Optimal Performance hardware features:
· USB 2.0 high speed port
· Processor: Intel Core 2 i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 (min. 3.0 GHz), 8.0 GB RAM
· OpenGL (specification GLX 1.3 up) compatible graphics adapter:
o
o
10 © 2018 Thorlabs
2 Getting Started
2.5 Installation
2.5.1 Software Installation
The "Thorlabs Beam" software V7.0 (or higher) can be downloaded from the Thorlabs website:
http://www.thorlabs.com/software_pages/ViewSoftwarePage.cfm?Code=Beam
Save the ZIP file to your computer and unpack this archive. The Install Shield Wizards starts by
double-clicking the setup.exe, see below.
The installation contains 2 main parts - the NI-VISA™ Runtime V17.0 and the Beam Software
itself, including also drivers and the manual. The following procedure describes the installation
on a Windows 7® 64 bit operating system.
Click the "setup.exe". The installer will perform a check for installed NI-VISA™ Runtime Ver-
sion. If NI-VISA™ is not installed to the target PC or the installed version is before 15.0, the in-
staller recognizes that and requests the installation of NI software:
Click to Install and follow the instructions:
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BP209
Click Next >> to continue.
Mark the tick box "Search for important messages..." Click "Next". The following window opens,
agaian click "Next".
Then Next >> to continue installation and click "Finish".
12 © 2018 Thorlabs
2 Getting Started
Click "Next" in both following screens and click "Finish" to finalize the installation.
Please reboot the PC when this message appears. After restarting the PC, the installer contin-
ues to install the software. If not, please execute the "setup.exe" again.
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BP209
Please read this license agreements carefully, choose "I agree" and click 'Next'.
It is recommended to follow the recommended path, click "Next" and then "Install" to proceed.
14 © 2018 Thorlabs
2 Getting Started
Click "Yes" to allow Beam Software installation.
A new window appears, click "Next" to continue. Windows Security will ask your confirmation to
install the Thorlabs USB driver.
You may check the box "Always trust software from "Thorlabs GmbH", this will shorten the in-
stallation. However, if you do not want to do that, please click the "Install" button. You will be
asked then to confirm the installation of further Thorlabs software components. Please proceed
as described above.
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BP209
Now, all drivers are installed and the "Read Me" comes up:
Click "Next", then "Finish" to complete the software installation.
16 © 2018 Thorlabs
2 Getting Started
2.5.2 Connection to the PC

Connect the Beam Profiler to a USB 2.0 high speed port of your computer. Use only the cable
that comes with the Beam Profiler or a cable qualified for high speed USB2.0 standard.
Attention
Do not use low speed USB cables as this can cause transmission errors and improper
instrument operation!
Also, it is strongly recommended to use a PC USB port for connection. Avoid use of USB
hubs as some models may not be able to deliver the specified max. current (500mA).
After connecting the instrument to the PC the operating system loads the appropriate USB
drivers for the Beam Profiler instrument.
Once connected, an icon will appear in the task bar indicating that the driver installation is in
progress. If you click on this icon, the window below appears:
If you want to verify the correct driver installation, check the presence of the instrument in the
Device Manager: From the Start button select Control Panel to Device Manager.
The following entry under the NI-VISA USB Devices group indicates that the Thorlabs Beam
Profiler device is properly installed.
If you cannot see such an entry please check the troubleshooting 143 section.
2.5.3 Start the Application

g g
Click the "Programs" "Thorlabs" "Thorlabs Beam Application" entry, or simply click the ap-
propriate icon added to your desktop.
When the application is started, the connected instrument is recognized, automatically connec-
ted and shown in the Beam Settings panel:
Usually the Beam software connects automatically to the instrument that has been connected
first. If you have connected more than one Beam Profiler and want to use another than the con-
nected device, click to the icon "Device Connection" and click the desired instrument:
© 2018 Thorlabs 17
BP209
Click on 'Refresh Device List' for an update in the case that you have very recently connected
to or removed a Beam Profiler instrument from your PC. If an expected instrument is still miss-
ing check if the USB driver is properly installed (see chapter Troubleshooting 143 ).
After selecting a Beam Profiler it will be connected and displayed in the Beam Settings panel,
where all available settings and adjustments to the Beam Profiler can be made. See the Set-
tings Panel 32 chapter for a detailed description.
It is advisable to read the steps described in the Measurement with the Beam Profiler 69
chapter carefully in order to setup your Beam Profiler device properly.
When the Beam Profiler application is started the first time, three preselected windows are
opened and arranged automatically. Otherwise, the arrangement of the last session (selected
windows and its position) will be recovered. See the Child Windows 45 chapter for a detailed
description of each window.
18 © 2018 Thorlabs
3 Operating Elements
3 Operating Elements
3.1 Rotation Mount
The BP209 Beam Profiler is an external optical beam measurement sensor that is designed for
free-space applications It comes with a rotation mount.
The rotation mount provides up to ± 60° of manual rotation for the X and Y scan axes. Release
the plug on the top and move it to the left or right while keeping the mount fixed - the Beam
Profiler rotates within its outer housing. For getting the desired angle use the markers on the
front plate. This way the beam profile at different directions can be measured.
Note
For accurate measurement results make sure the beam enters the input aperture perpendicular
to front plane and as close as possible to the to the center of the aperture.
The rotation capability of the sensor with respect to the beam is essential for correct beam el-
lipticity measurement, for instance.
Since the major and minor axes of an elliptical beam may have arbitrary position in space, the
scan axes of the Beam Profiler need to be oriented to these axes in order to measure the real
ellipticity. For the most accurate alignment, it is best to rotate the BP209 while observing the X
and Y profiles. Look for the point where the profile width in one axis reaches the minimum and
the maximum in the other axis.
Note
Without scan axes alignment the ellipticity measurement may become erroneous!
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BP209
3.2 Mounting Plate

The bottom the Beam Profiler has a mounting plate with 2 threaded holes. The thread depends
on the version of the Beam Profiler.
Metric Version Imperial Version
Fix the Beam Profiler on the optical bench using Thorlabs post, post holder and base.
20 © 2018 Thorlabs
4 Operating Principle
4 Operating Principle
The BP209 uses the principle of scanning slits mounted on the perimeter of a rotating drum.
This drum is equipped with a position encoder, which delivers exact information on the actual
drum position to the analyzing software. Two silt pairs (5 µm slit width for normal measurement
and 25 µm slit width for knife-edge measurement) are mounted to the drum.
The slit pairs are oriented orthogonally at angles +45° and -45° with respect to the rotation axis.
This scanning axis is tilted at 45° so that the scanning directions of the slits appear as 0° (hori-
zontal) and 90° (vertical), respectively. These scanning directions are marked as X and Y on
the front of the instrument.
Using the rotation mount these scanning axes can be tilted to within ± 60° in order to adapt it to
the major and minor axes of an elliptical beam.
Beside the two slit pairs, the drum has an aperture with a neutral density (ND) filter. This aper-
ture is used to take integral power measurements during every revolution, which is necessary
as reference value for Beam Profile measurement.
Note that this power measurement readout is the result of a separate integral beam power
measurement (through the ND filter), and not a result of mathematical integration across the
scanned beam profile.
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BP209
5 The Graphics User Interface (GUI)

The main window consists of a menu bar (1), a tool bar (2), a status bar (3) and common frame
for displaying several child windows. When starting the application, an additional window is dis-
played within the main window - the Beam Settings 32 (4) panel. This panel can be unpinned
from the main window and moved to a different display location, e.g., to a second monitor.
22 © 2018 Thorlabs
5.1 Menu Bar

All user activities can be done using the menu bar items
5.1.1 File Menu

These menu entries deal with files or printing.
The entries in the first block, Import and Export Configuration, are related to XML files which
contain information about the chosen Beam Profiler device and its settings, file export paramet-
ers and application settings. In order to copy the GUI appearance and Beam Profiler settings to
another PC you need to save the configuration file, copy it and load it on the target system.
The entries in the second block, Import and Export Device Data, are used to import and ex-
port data originally retrieved from the Beam Profiler in CSV format. Intensity values are saved
to a text matrix.
There are 4 columns:
Column Content
1 X position in µm
2 Intensity at X position
3 Y position in µm
4 Intensity at Y position
A sequential saving is available as well. Details please see in section Calculation Results 55 .
The third block prints the currently displayed content of the child windows.
With the Print Application Window a screenshot of the Beam Profiler application is printed.
The Print Active Window entry prints the current active child window of the Beam Profiler ap-
plication. This function gives you the opportunity to print a specific child window.
The Save Test Protocol opens a dialog window, where individual data can be entered. Click
"Save" and then "Close" to save a test report with the calculation results and the current projec-
tion image to the indicated location. If the 3D Profile window is opened, a screenshot of the 3D
Profile is also included in the test report.
See some detailed examples for data export in the Save Measurement Results 73 chapter.
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BP209
5.1.2 Control Menu

Use the two first menu entries to start and pause the continuous op-
eration of the Beam Profiler device including retrieving measure-
ment data, performing calculations and displaying graphs and nu-
merical results to the output windows. 'Next Frame' starts a single
measurement and returns to pause state.
When the GUI is started or the active Beam Profiler instrument is
changed, the application will start continuous operation automati-
cally. Pausing the consecutive operation is advantageous for de-
tailed analysis of a single image. The paused Beam Profiler can be restarted at any time.
The "Clear Windows" function resets the content of all windows, including child windows. The
window content will be filled with the next measurement result received from the instrument.
This function may be useful for a synchronous restart of all plots and time-based measure-
ments.
Note
The measurement of all beam parameters and the accumulation of calculated data is started
automatically with the software start. "Clear Windows" deletes all accumulated data and re-
starts the measurement.
Start NI Network Variables
Note
In order to use this command, you need to have installed additional National Instruments® soft-
ware (Distributed System Manager, NI CVI Runtime Engine). This feature is a data interface for
handing over to an external program environment the parameters:
saturation
total power
centroid positions X and Y
4-sigma width X and Y
5.1.3 Options Menu
These entries allow changing the device (Beam Profiler) and application (GUI) specific settings
and let you choose a language.
Beam Settings
The Beam Settings panel contains all important information about the optical settings, the prop-
erties of the active Beam Profiler and a summary of the calculated beam parameters. Please
see the detailed description of this panel in the section Beam Settings 32 .
24 © 2018 Thorlabs
Display Settings Panel

Here, the different styles for 2D Reconstruction and 3D Profile are listed for selection.
There are 3 different color scale types available:

- Logarithmic is recommended to view lower intensity values with a good resolution
- Linear
- Quad offers a better resolution for higher intensity values.
User-Configured Color Scales
If a certain color scale is required it is possible to create a custom color scale which can be
loaded automatically by starting the application. To do so a few things have to considered.
When starting the application loads valid *.lut files from the folder
...\My Documents\Thorlabs\Thorlabs Beam\LUT
A valid *.lut file must fulfill the following criteria:
· Ordinary text file with 9 columns and 256 rows
· Values must be tab-separated
· The first three columns have 256 entries
· The last six columns have only 129
· Each value represents a 8 bit intensity (0- 255) of R(ed), G(reen) and B(lue), respectively.
The first three columns represent the linear scale of a user-made color scale, the next three
columns the logarithmic scale and the last three columns the quad scale.
Such a color scale could look like this (The first two rows are not part of the *.lut file; they are
shown here only for illustration):
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BP209
Linear Scale Logarithmic Scale Quad Scale

R G B R G B R G B
0 255 0 0 255 0 0 255 0
1 255 0 1 255 0 3 255 0
2 255 0 2 255 0 10 255 0
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
127 255 0 240 255 0 254 255 0
128 255 0 255 255 0 255 255 0
129 255 0
... ... ...
254 255 0
255 255 0
"..." stands for the intermediary values.
26 © 2018 Thorlabs
Reset Application Settings to Defaults

This button resets all BEAM application settings to defaults:
Application Setting Default Value Explanation
Gain Control Automatic Gain is set to automatic.
Bandwidth Control 125 kHz Instrument set to continuous data acquisition.
Baseline Correction Automatic The ADC output signal that is caused by environ-
mental and stray light is compensated.
Aperture Width 9.0 mm Full Aperture Width is used for calculations.
Active Slit Pair 5 µm Slit Pair that is used for measurement
Scanning Mode Slit Normal mode, in contrast to Knife Edge Mode
Target Scan Rate 10 Hz Scan Rate set value.
Scan Rate Correction Enabled Enabling Scan Rate Correction, a control loop will
maintain the scan rate close to the target value.
Calculation Area Preset Auto Rect- Software determines a rectangular area in which the
angle power level is above the clip level.
Calculation Area Clip 1.0 % For defining the Calculation Area in automatic mode,
Level the lower intensities limit is set to 1% of the peak in-
tensity to clip noise.
Averaging Mode None No averaging
Clip Level 13.50 % The clip level for calculating the ellipse and beam
width is set to 13.5% of the difference between the
baseline and the peak intensity.
Hold Maximum Disabled After reaching the max. number of data to be plotted,
with the next data acquisition the first data set will be
discarded and the the most recent set will be added.
Autoscale to Peak Enabled The diagrams that show intensities, are scaled to the
peak intensity.
Correct Beam Width Enabled Measurements results are beam-width corrected.
Reference Position Sensor Reference position is set to the aperture center. Cen-
Center troid and peak positions are calculated relative to the
reference position.
Power Unit mW All power units are displayed in mW.
Plot Method Latest Data After reaching the max. number of data to be plotted,
with the next data acquisition the first data set will be
discarded and the the most recent set will be added.
Plot Interval Every Meas. For every measurement, the data are plotted
Max. Data Points 100000 The maximum number of data to be plotted
Velocity 200 mm/s Translation speed of the stage
Language
The language of the application can be selected.
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5.1.4 Windows Menu

When the GUI is started the first time, the Default Workspace is
opened by default. To close and open the windows, toggle the corre-
sponding entry in the windows menu.
S
An open child window can also be closed by pressing the in the up-
per right corner of the child window.
5.1.5 View Menu

From this menu entry, a number of pre-configured child window arrange-
ments ("workspaces") can be quickly selected:
· Default: Settings panel, Numeric results, 2D reconstruction, 3D profile
· Profile: 2D reconstruction, 3D profile, numeric results, X and Y profiles
· M²: Beam Quality Measurement, X and Y profiles
· Empty workspace
Further, the active child windows can be arranged, tiled, and cascaded.
'Maximize Diagrams' turns off the side and top toolbars in all child win-
dows simultaneously, 'Show Toolbar and Legends' turns them on
again.
'Save Current / Load Workspace' saves your Beam software GUI ap-
pearance to a ini-file that can be loaded at any time.
'Recent Files' lists recently used workspace files so that you can quickly load often used work-
spaces.
28 © 2018 Thorlabs
5.1.6 Help Menu

Click 'Contents', the first entry within the help menu, or press the 'F1' key on the keyboard to
open the online help file, which contains all information included in this manual.
With a click on the link Visit the Thorlabs Website this website is
opened in the browser window.
View Thorlabs (LPGL) License Agreement will open the license files
of the installer package.
Check for Update searches for available software updates.
Give Feedback opens a dialog, where you can post your feedback
about BEAM software and send it by email to Thorlabs Tech Sup-
port.
About Thorlabs displays device information and software versions details:
If you have trouble with the software, please submit the version of the application to Thorlabs.
This can help in resolving your problem.
© 2018 Thorlabs 29
BP209
5.2 Tool Bar

For the most important menu entries there are also symbols provided in the tool bar.
Clicking on a toolbar symbol will have the same effect as clicking on the original menu entry.
When moving the mouse over the icons, a tool tip will be displayed.
In the table below the toolbar icons are explained.
Open the online help file
Pause and start the continuous device operation 24
Take a single measurement 24
Clear the content of each window 24
Restore Beam Settings 32 panel (if unpinned or closed)
Open the Device Connection 18 dialog
Open the Display Settings 25 panel
Reset Application Settings to defaults 27
Open child window 2D Reconstruction 46
Open child window 3D Profile 48
Open child window Calculation Results 52
Open child window X Profile 50
Open child window Y Profile 50
Open child window Plot Position 63
Open child window Plot Power 64
Open child window Beam Stability 67
Open child window Beam Quality (M²) 96
Toggle auto scale to peak on/off
Toggle Hold Maximum on/off
Open child window Manual Vergence Measurement 56
Open child window Tuning View 58
Open child window Beam Overlapping 60
30 © 2018 Thorlabs
5.3 Status Bar
The status bar displays important status information about the Slit Beam Profiler concerning
· Errors and warnings, see chapter Warnings and Errors 144 .
· Plot Data Point Status, see section Plots 62 .
· Instrument settings like taken samples, scan rate and target resolution.
· Current refresh rate of the application in frames per seconds (fps).
5.4 Save Settings

The actual settings of the GUI including configurations of the graphical displays and the instru-
ment setup are automatically saved when exiting the program. When starting the Beam soft-
ware again, the most recent settings are automatically loaded.
Exception: Gain and bandwidth are set to "Auto", automatic baseline correction disabled.
Note
The stop state of the previous measurement will be ignored at a new start of the Beam software
because it always starts in continuous mode.
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5.5 Beam Settings

The Beam Settings panel is a very convenient visualization of all important information and
settings that can be made to the instrument and to the calculation parameters. For a better vis-
ibility, the Beam Settings topics are arranged in expandable group boxes that allow to show or
hide topics. Further, the Beam Settings panel is the only child window that can be detached:
When starting the application, this panel arranged by default within the main window. Drag an
drop it to any convenient location within or outside the GUI main window, e.g., to a second PC
monitor. When detached, the Pin icon in the upper right corner changes from to . Click
to this icon to bring the panel back into the GUI frame. The panel view can be customized eas-
ily by expanding or hiding topics.
Beam Settings BP209x
Please read this section carefully and follow the setup instructions in order maximize the accur-
acy of your measurements.
32 © 2018 Thorlabs
5.5.1 Optical Setup
This part of the Beam Settings panel

· Sets the operating wavelength 33 ,
· Executes a power correction 34 .
Initial Settings
When this Beam Profiler is connected for the first time, the following default values are set:
Parameter Default Value

635 nm (BP209-VIS)
Wavelength
900 nm (BP209-IR, BP209-IR2)
Power Correction off
5.5.1.1 Wavelength
Enter the operating wavelength in nm as a precondition for proper measurement of the Total
Power. The power calculation is based on the entered wavelength and the typical responsivity
curve of the photo diode stored in the Beam Profiler instrument. See Typical Photodiode Re-
sponse Curve 153 . The correct wavelength is important for accurate Beam Quality (M²) results as
well.
The range of allowed wavelength values is limited to specified range of the recognized Beam
Profiler.
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5.5.1.2 Power Correction

The Power Correction allows the user to set the total beam power measured by the Beam Pro-
filer to the power level measured by a reference power meter.
Preconditions:
Be sure to have set the operating wavelength accurately.
Click the 'Start' button - the Power Correction Dialog appears.
The 'Current power value' is the actual power measured by the Beam Profiler. Enter the power
meter reading into the 'Power meter value' control. Click 'Apply' to enable corrections, then click
'Close' to leave the panel.
The difference between the entered power value and the actually measured by the instrument
power will be displayed as an offset, here -0.161994 dB.
This offset (in dB) is stored in the Beam Profiler and is read out and activated automatically
each time after connecting this instrument.
Note
The user calibrated power reading is correct only at the actual wavelength. If the wavelength
changes, the power correction needs to be carried out again.
After executing the Power Correction it is activated automatically, which is indicated by the
check mark.
The activation state is saved in the software. When restarting the software using the same in-
strument, the offset is recognized, read out and the same activation state (active / inactive) as
in the previous software session will be restored.
If the power correction is not active, the attempt to activate it lets the software check the Beam
Profiler for a saved offset. If no saved offset is found, the Power Correction dialog opens and
asks for a power meter value. If an offset is recognized, it will be applied immediately. For this
reason it is recommended that a power correction is to be performed if the environment of the
instrument was changed.
34 © 2018 Thorlabs
5.5.2 Beam Profiler Information
These data are read out from the BP209 instrument and cannot be changed. Beside general in-
formation (Beam Profiler model, serial number; driver, firmware and CPLD versions), other im-
portant sensor information are stated:
Resolution
is the achievable resolution for the given scan rate and aperture width 38 . It's limited by the
sampling rate of the AD converter.
If scanning the entire aperture (9mm), the resolution will be affected only for scan rates > 19 s-1.
The range of resolution for these higher scan rates is 1.20 µm to 1.24 µm.
A higher resolution can be achieved by limiting the scanned aperture to 10% of the entire width
(Ø 0.9 mm), see Miscellaneous 38 . With this option, the resolution depends strongly on the
scan rate and ranges from 0.124 µm (scan rate 2s-1) to 1.24 µm (scan rate 20s-1).
Samples
is the number of measurement values used for beam profile calculation. It is limited by the AD
converter sampling rate and varies, depending on the selected aperture width 38 and scan rate.
© 2018 Thorlabs 35
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5.5.3 Slit Beam Profiler Parameter

This section contains a number of important Beam Profiler parameters that are accessible by
the user. Please become familiar with the meaning of these controls in order to prevent im-
proper adjustments which may lead to erroneous measurement results. All visible controls are
explained below.
Details on the individual parameters are explained in the subsequent sections.

Initial Settings
When this Beam Profiler is connected for the first time, the following default parameters are
set:
Parameter Default Value

Scan Rate 10.0 s-1
Scan Rate Correction enabled
PD Bias off 1)
Aperture Width full width (9 mm)
Active Slit Pair 5 µm
Scanning Method Slit Scanning
Auto Gain Index ON
Bandwidth Slit X 125 kHz
Bandwidth Slit Y 125 kHz
Auto Baseline Correction on
1) Switchable photodiode bias is not available for BP209-IR2 model.
36 © 2018 Thorlabs
5.5.3.1 Gain, Bandwidth and Baseline
Gain and Bandwidth are the parameters of the photo current amplifier. Higher bandwidth is re-
commended to achieve high resolution when measuring small beam diameters. The bandwidth
can be set between 16 kHz and 660 kHz, if the full 9.0 mm aperture width is used, and between
16 kHz and 1000 kHz, if the 0.9 mm aperture is used for measurement.
Each time the software is started, gain is set to Auto, bandwidth to 125 kHz and the Baseline
Correction is set to Auto. This is the preferred setting for most measurements. However, in
some cases, e.g. measurement of pulsed lasers 79 , it is recommended that these settings be
changed manually.
Baseline Correction
The baseline is the ADC output signal that originates from the photo detector's dark current, the
output offset and noise of the ADC. It results in a beam profile shift away from the zero line. En-
abling the Auto Baseline Correction, this influence is compensated. It is recommended to have
it enabled.
5.5.3.2 Scan Rate
Scan Rate
Here, the actual scan rate (drum rotation speed) is displayed
Target Scan Rate
This is the rotation speed of the drum in s-1. The entered value is transformed into a control
voltage for the drum drive. Values between 2 and 20 s-1 can be entered either numerically or by
clicking to the arrows attached to the numeric box or by shifting the slider.
Scan Rate Correction
The actual rotation speed may differ from the entered target scan rate due to the drum drive
warmingof: The longer the unit operates, the faster the drive runs at the same control voltage.
Enabling Scan Rate Correction, a control loop will maintain the scan rate close to the target
value.
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5.5.3.3 Miscellaneous
Photodiode Bias
Biasing a photo diode decreases its rise time. Set Bias to On for measurement of small beam
diameters and M² measurement.
Note
Biasing is possible only for BP209-VIS and BP209-IR models.
Aperture Width
The maximum aperture diameter is 9 mm. The resolution can be improved if using only 10% of
the aperture for beam analysis, particularly in case of small beam diameters or when using the
the knife edge mode 81 .
Active Slit Pair
The BP209 Series comes with two pairs of slits, in contrast to the BP10x predecessors. The
identification of the slit pairs is given by their location on the perimeter of the drum, and only the
active slit pair is used for beam analysis.
With 5 µm slit pair, beam diameters down to 20 µm can be measured using the standard Slit
Scanning method. If the beam diameter is less than that, the Knife Edge Mode must be used
instead, in combination with the 25 µm slit pair. This is explained in detail in the Knife Edge
Mode section 81 .
Scanning Mode
Select Slit Scanning for beam diameters > 20 µm (with 5 µm active slit pair) and Knife Edge
for beam diameters < 20 µm (with 25 µm active slit pair).
5.5.4 Calculation Parameter

This section is used to set the parameter for beam profile calculation. Below is shown the view
of the Calculation Parameter section at the first start of the Beam software or after pressing the
"Reset Application Settings to Defaults 27 " button ( ):
38 © 2018 Thorlabs
5.5.4.1 Calculation Area
The Calculation Area defines a specific area within

the full Region of Interest (ROI). Whereas the ROI
is the entire image area that is retrieved from the
BP209 and displayed, the Calculation Area can be
equal to or smaller than the ROI and defines the re-
construction area that is used for all numerical cal-
culations.
Limiting the calculation area is advantageous partic-
ularly for
· Selecting and analyzing only a single beam spot
among multiple beams
· Rejecting ambient or stray light
· Reducing measurement noise
Three presets are provided to chose a Calculation
Area:
Auto Rectangle: The software will analyze every image from the BP209 automatically
and determine the area in which a measurable amount of power is
present. Areas with a lower power level than the clip level 40 with will
be excluded from further calculations.
Full ROI: The entire image area defined by the ROI is involved in beam calcula-
tions.
User Rectangle: A rectangular area, set by user input is defined as Calculation Area.
Enter pixel values which describe the Calculation Area position and
size or simply drag a rectangle into the 2D Projection window.
© 2018 Thorlabs 39
BP209
When 'User Rectangle' is selected, you need to

enter size and position of the Calculation Area nu-
merically or drag and drop the borders of the user
rectangle. All values are in µm, and the point of ori-
gin is situated in the upper left corner of the entire
sensor area. X (Y) Positions describe the position of
the left (upper) border of the user rectangle (el-
lipse).
The Calculation Area can also be set and visualized
within the 2D Reconstruction 46 window. See the
appropriate chapter for details.
Clip Level of the Calculation Area

If the calculation area is detected automatically (Auto Rectangle), the borders of the Calcula-
tion Area in all four directions are defined by the calculation area clip level. The border in one
direction is set when all pixel values fall (seen from the peak) below the Clip Level. Decreasing
the Clip Level increases the Calculation Area which in return increases for example the 4 s dia-
meters, but also increases the noise. For a steep beam profile, 1.0% is an optimal clip level
value. If the beam profile is rather flat, it might be advantageous to lower the clip level.
The clip level is set by default to 1 % and can be set between 0.01 and 13.5 %. In order to
quickly return to the recommended 1.0% clip level, just click to the box Default (1.0%).
Note The Clip Level of Calculation Area is different from the Clip Level 41 used for beam pro-
file calculations!
Attention
The calculation area must not cut off lower intensity parts of the beam profile. This may
cause inaccurate calculation results!
40 © 2018 Thorlabs
5.5.4.2 Averaging Mode
Three modes are available - floating, block and rolling. The number of frames can be set
between 1 and 100.
In Floating mode, the average is calculated from the weighted previous average and the re-
cent frame. Example: Floating average is made for 10 frames. The previous average value is
multiplied by 9, then the recent frame value is added and the sum is divided by 10, which gives
the new average value.
In Block mode, the indicated number of frames is accumulated, after finishing the average is
calculated and displayed. This is the slowest mode.
In Rolling mode, the averaging is done over the indicated most recent number of frames.
Example: Rolling average is made for 10 frames. The most recent 10 frames are averaged and
displayed, the value is updated with each new frame.
Setting the frames to numbers higher than 1 to enables noise reduction.
This option is helpful for unstable light sources with fluctuating intensity or beam shape, or if the
update rate on the screen is too high for easy data readout. Also use this option to suppress
Beam Profiler noise in case of low intensity.
5.5.4.3 Clip Level

In contrast to the Calculation Area Clip Level 40 , the Clip Level parameter is used to determine
the beam width. It defines a relative intensity level between dark level (0%) and peak level
(100%) of the measured beam profile at which the beam width is determined. The ISO11146
Standard recommends a default value of 1/e² =13.5 % of the peak intensity. Other values from
5% to 95% can be set by entering manually.
Click on Default (1/e²) to set the default Clip Level of 13.5%. See Appendix Application Note 148
for details.
5.5.4.4 Hold Maximum

The Hold Maximum feature is recommended for pulsed laser sources. In all subsequent scans
for each pixel only the maximum values are stored, displayed and used for calculation.
5.5.4.5 Autoscale to Peak

Enable the 'Autoscale to Peak' check box to scale the X and Y profiles to their peak intensit-
ies. Disabling will scale the X and Y profiles to the value of AD saturation.
5.5.4.6 Correct Beam Width

The Correct Beam Width option should be activated by default.
It corrects for the measurement error due to the finite slit width for all methods (13.5% clip level
with and without Gaussian fit). Since this convolution error is systematic it can be calculated
and eliminated. This feature increases the measurement accuracy, particularly when measuring
narrow beams.
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5.5.4.7 Reference Position

The reference position influences the calculation results. Peak and Centroid positions refer to
the reference position. By default, the reference position is set to the sensor center. In the 2D
Reconstruction window it is displayed as a grey crosshair.
The Reference Position can be set to predefined positions (see above) or to a user defined po-
sition. The X and Y coordinates of a user defined position are to be entered numerically or set
in the 2D Reconstruction 47 (Reference Position Editor):
5.5.4.8 Unit
The measurement units that are displayed in the Beam Software can be selected in the Unit
topic.
Position units: µm.
Total Power units: mW or dBm.
Temperature: °C, °F or K.
(Temperature is measured by an external Thorlabs TSP01 Envir-
onmental Sensor, connected via USB (not included).)
The following table gives an overview on all available units:
Unit Description
µm Location, width or distance in µm. The origin of the coordinate system (X=0, Y=0) is
the sensor center, not the image center!
Positive X values go to the right, positive Y values to the top of the image.
Value range: - 4500 to + 4500 µm.
mW The Total Power of the beam is calculated from measurement of the total photo di-
ode current, using its typical wavelength dependent responsivity and the power cor-
rection value.
dBm The Total Power translated from mW into dBm: 10 * log (P[mW]). 0 dBm = 1 mW
% Relative level between 0 and 100%
deg Angle in degree with respect to the X axis, range -90 to +90 deg
42 © 2018 Thorlabs
5.5.5 Plot Over Time Parameter
The Beam software allows to show different plots of beam measurements:

Plot Positions 63
Plot Power 64
Plot Gaussian Fit 65
Plot Environment Data 66 and
Beam Stability 67
The section Plot Over Time Parameter is used to configure these plots:
· The maximum number N of data points in the plots can be defined (N=1 to 100000).
· The time interval between two data points can be selected (between 0 = every measure-
ment to 1000 s; default = every measurement).
· Specify the action performed after the maximum number N of recorded data points is
reached:
o "Discard first points" means the 1st data set is discarded and the most recent data point
will be added to the plot. In other words, after reaching the maximum number N of plot-
ted data points, the plot continues and displays the most recent N data points.
o "Discard last points" means that all data points beyond N will be discarded. In other
words, after reaching the maximum number N of data points, the plot stops.
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5.5.6 Translation Stage Control

If a translation stage is detected, an appropriate topic at the bottom of the Beam Settings panel
appears. The description in this section assumes a Thorlabs DDSM100 Linear Translation
Stage, as it is used in the M2MS Extension Set 87 .
This panel allows the user to manually control the translation stage. This is useful for a coarse
setup of the M² or Divergence Measurement.
Actual Position displays the present stage position.
Target Position
Enter a value between 0 and 200 mm, press 'Enter' on your keyboard, and the stage will travel
with the set Velocity to the new position.
Note
The total displacement reaches from 0 to 200 mm, although the stage translation path is only
100 mm. This results from the mechanical design of the M2MS 87 M² Meter Set.
Increment
Enter the increment for moving the stage stepwise.
Velocity
This is the speed of the stage when traveling between two positions (e.g., between the actual
and the target position).
Pressing these buttons moves the stage backward / forward for one step, equal to the Incre-
ment.
Pressing this button interrupts the continuous stage travel to a target position.
The slider bar on the bottom of the panel has two functions - it shows the stage position, and
the slider can be moved with the mouse in order to start a stage travel.
44 © 2018 Thorlabs
5.6 Child Windows

When starting the application first time, three child windows are opened and arranged auto-
matically:
· 2D Reconstruction 46
· 3D Profile 48
· Calculation Results 52
The application also provides other windows:
· X Profile 50
· Y Profile 50
· Plot Positions 62
· Plot Power 64
· Plot Gaussian Fit 65
· Plot Environment Data 66
· Beam Stability 67
· Beam Quality (M²) 84
· Manual Vergence Measurement 56
· Tuning View 58
· Beam Overlapping 60
All above windows can be opened and closed by clicking the symbols in the toolbar or by se-
lecting the entries in the menu "Windows".
The appearance of the Thorlabs Beam software can be arranged according to your require-
ments and taste. All child windows can be resized and positioned very flexible. Here is an ex-
ample of arranging some child windows:
To close a child window deselect the menu entry or the appropriate toolbar symbol or click the
close button "X" in the upper right corner of the child window.
© 2018 Thorlabs 45
BP209
Each child window can be moved and resized. If a child window is closed its settings are stored
so that it will have the same position and size when it is reopened.
When the GUI application is closed and reopened, the main panel will have the same child
panels open in their former positions. To arrange the windows automatically use the function
"Tile View" from the "View" 28 menu.
5.6.1 2D Reconstruction
The 2D Reconstruction graph shows the image from the Beam Profiler indicating the power in-
tensity distribution. This window can be opened and closed via the menu item "2D Reconstruc-
tion" in the window menu or via the toggle button in the toolbar.
The 2D image is based on a reconstruction since a slit Beam Profiler delivers measurement
results of two real cross sections only, the X and the Y profile. The remaining pixel values are
calculated by multiplying the normalized cross section values of the respective row and column.
An additional bottom clipping is done to limit amplified noise.
Note
Remember, this is only a reconstruction of an assumed Gaussian-like profile, it does not show
a completely measured 2D cross section.
On the left side of the 2D Reconstruction window a toolbar is located with the following toggle
buttons:
46 © 2018 Thorlabs
Toolbar Symbol Associated Action

Save Diagram or Opens a dialog box to specify the properties of the saved screen-
Data shots / data.
Scale Show or hides the x and y scale
Changes the color of the image from gray scale to rainbow colors
Color (see Display Settings 25 ).
Peak Marks the Peak Position using a green cross
Centroid Marks the Beam Centroid using a blue cross within a blue circle
Ellipse Displays the approximated Beam Ellipse in yellow color.
The reference position has influence on the calculation results.
The peak and centroid position refer to the reference position. The
reference position can either be the center of the sensor, the peak
position, the centroid position or a user defined position which can
be set with the reference position edit mode or in the Beam Set-
tings 42 .
The Calculation Area is a subarea of the full ROI. It defines the re-
construction area that is used for all numerical calculations and
can be displayed or hidden by toggling the button.
A drop-down menu allows to make a choice between Automatic or
Full Size; additionally it can be defined by the user. Detailed ex-
planations please see in section Beam Settings 39 .
Insert X and Y Profiles Draws X and Y Profiles into the 2D graph displaying the power dis-
tribution within a horizontal and a vertical cross section.
The positions of these X and Y cross sections are fixed to the
sensor center.
The distance measurement editor opens a table beside the pro-
Distance Editor jection image. When drawing lines into the projection image, the
distance is inserted into the table. A maximum of 10 distances can
be drawn. Remove a distance entry by selecting the entry and
pressing the "DEL" key or select the entry and choose the "Delete
Distance" entry from the context menu.
If the window height is smaller than the full toolbar, the lower symbols are packed into a context
menu which is accessible via a arrow button on the bottom of the toolbar.
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5.6.2 3D Profile
The 3D Profile illustrates the power density distribution of the measured optical beam. Whereas
the beam's cross-section is parallel with the X-Y-plane, the relative power intensity is shown in
the Z direction (Pseudo 3D). This window can be opened and closed via the menu item "3D
Profile" in the window menu or via the toggle button in the toolbar. It can be closed via the
X button in the upper right corner of the child window.
The 3D profile can be moved, rotated and zoomed with the mouse:
Rotate: Press right mouse button and move mouse
Move: Press left mouse button and move mouse
Zoom: Scroll mouse wheel
The following table summarizes the toolbar symbols available within the 3D Profile window and
its appropriate action.
Toolbar
Associated Action
Icon
Opens a dialog box to specify the properties of the saved screenshots / dia-
grams.
Opens the 3D Profile Settings dialog box.
Toggles the appearance of the profile between solid to wired (default).
Resets the manipulations of translation, rotation and zoom to the default view.
Position, size and rotation angle are also displayed within the 3D Profile Settings dialog box.
Here you can input numerical values to define the 3D Profile appearance:
48 © 2018 Thorlabs
Note
· If the slider "Speed - Quality" is in the far right position, the 3D image is displayed with
highest quality.
· The higher the 3D image quality is set, the more system resources are used. Depending
on the system capabilities, the software may slow down.
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5.6.3 X and Y Profiles

Each of the two windows can be opened and closed via the menu item "X Profiles" or "Y Pro-
files" in the window menu or clicking on the appropriate toolbar symbols.
The windows can also be closed via the X button in the upper right corner of the child window.
X and Y profiles display the intensity along the appropriate axes as marked on the front panel
of the Beam Profiler.
The yellow curve shows the measured profile, while the red curve shows the approximated
Gaussian 148 fit function and the blue - the approximated Bessel 149 fit. The curves can be shown
/ hidden by toggling the appropriate button above the diagram.
If "Autoscale to Peak" is enabled, the measured curve shows relative intensities from 0 to 100%
, where 100% denotes the maximum value of intensity on X and Y axis.
If the "Autoscale to Peak" function is disabled, the X and Y profiles will show a peak amplitude
equal to the AD converter saturation of the appropriate slit pair.
The amplitude of the Gaussian fit curve may be lower or even higher than the peak intensity of
the measured curve.
The selected clip level (default 13.5%) is displayed if the "Auto Scale to Peak" function is en-
abled (button ).
The horizontal scale is displayed in µm.
50 © 2018 Thorlabs
Toolbar Associated Action

Icon
Opens a dialog box to specify the properties of the saved screenshots / dia-
grams.
Opens a dialog box to save measurement data to XLS or CSV file.
Toggle button to display grid in the diagram. Default: grid is shown.
Zoom Home button
Cursor mode - toggle button to show or hide the cursor.
Show / Hide calculation area
Cursor Mode
Move the the mouse pointer close to the vertical cursor line. The mouse
pointer changes to . The cursor line can be moved with the left mouse but-
ton pressed to a position inside the diagram. The current values at the cursor
position are shown in a rectangle next to the cursor in the colors of the plotted
curve.
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5.6.4 Zooming and Panning Diagrams

All diagrams, e.g. X and Y profiles, plot diagrams, M² and divergence diagrams, that have a
slider, can be manipulated for X and Y scale (zoom) as well as for X and Y positioning (pan).
Zoom Mode
To zoom in the diagram, draw a rectangle with the left mouse button pressed. Right clicking the
diagram undoes last zoom action.
Zoom Home button returns to display of the complete diagram.
Zooming the Diagram Axes
Move the mouse cursor over an edge of the vertical or horizontal scroll bar slider.
The cursor changes to ô ó
or . Press and hold left mouse button and move the
mouse. This will zoom in on the appropriate part of the diagram axis. Return to
default view using the Zoom Home button.
Panning the Diagram Axes
Move the mouse pointer over the center of the vertical or horizontal scroll bar
slider and press left mouse button. Now the slider can be moved to pan (shift)
across the diagram. Return to default view using the Zoom Home button.
5.6.5 Calculation Results

In this window the results of the calculations are displayed. It can be opened and closed via the
menu item "Calculation Results" in the window menu or via the toggle button in the toolbar .
The width of the columns is predefined but can be resized. With the first start of the Beam Soft-
ware, the parameters as shown above are displayed in this table. Click the marked green
icon in the table in order to select or deselect parameters to be calculated and displayed. The
fewer calculation results are enabled, the higher the speed performance of the software.
52 © 2018 Thorlabs
Note
· Even if the Gaussian and / or Bessel Fit calculations are disabled from display in the Cal-
culation results panel, the appropriate fitted curves are still shown in the X and Y Profile
windows, if enabled there.
The units of the calculations can be changed in Beam Settings / Unit 42 .

If a calculation failed the value turns to "--".
For details on these parameters, please see section "Application Note 146 "
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Handling of Calculation Results and Settings

Save Calculation Results
Lock / Unlock Test Parameters
Load Test Parameter Configuration
Save Test Parameter Configuration
Save Calculations opens a dialog box:

· Select the destination folder (see the preview pane)
· Define the file name
· Select file format (*.txt, *.csv or *.xls)
· Add date, time stamp, index (optional)
· Click "Save Calculations"
Lock / Unlock Test Parameters; Load / Save Test Parameter Configuration.

These functions are related to the configuration of the Pass / Fail Test 72 functionality.
54 © 2018 Thorlabs
Sequential Saving
This feature is used to save sequentially sets of the selected calculation results 52 , e.g for a
long term analysis.
· Select the destination folder (see the preview pane).
· Define the file name.
· Select the export format.
· Add date and/or time stamp (optional)
· Save Data... Select either
® the time interval between two records (1 to 106 sec.)
or
® the n-th measurement to be recorded ( n = 1 to 105)
· Stop Saving after... Define when the sequential saving
shall be terminated:
® after reaching a certain file size (1 to 100 MB)
® after reaching a certain recording time (1 to 106 sec.)
® after reaching a certain number of data sets (1 to 105)
· Click "Start Sequential Saving"
The data sets are recorded to one single file, with each
new record appended to the previously recorded data
sets.
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5.6.6 Manual Vergence Measurement
Vergence refers to the divergence or convergence angle of a light beam. The manual vergence
measurement allows this angle to be measured using a simple mechanical setup. The Beam
Profiler is mounted so that it can slide along the beam propagation trace. This can be done us-
ing, for example, a Thorlabs M2 translation stage or a Thorlabs dovetail optical rail (RLA series)
in combination with a rail carrier (RC series) and a post.
Open the Manual Vergence Measurement Window either by selecting the appropriate item
from the Menu bar (Windows g Manual Vergence Measurement) or simply by clicking the
icon:
1. Click the icon in the left upper corner to open "Settings for the Manual Vergence Meas-
urements". Select the beam diameter calculation method. Measure the distance between
the light source and the front plane of the Beam Profiler and enter this value to the box "Pos-
ition 1" in millimeters and click the icon.
56 © 2018 Thorlabs
2. The software calculates the beam width at position 1.
3. Move the Beam Profiler, measure the distance again, enter the new distance into the box
"Position 2" and press the 2nd icon.
4. The beam width at position 2 is calculated and based on the entered distance change, the
vergence angle in X and Y axes is displayed.
Note
The accuracy of the entered distance between the two positions (shift) of the Beam Profiler is
significant for vergence measurement accuracy.
Hint
If you are using the Beam Profiler together with a M2MS Extension Set, i.e. within a M2MS-
BP209x measurement system, the Manual Vergence measurement is even more simple:
· Remove the focusing lens from the system.
· Feed the laser beam into the M2MS-BP209x input aperture and align it.
· Open in the Beam Settings panel the Translation Stage Control 44 topic.
· Use the stage slider to set 0 and 200 mm positions and proceed as described above.
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5.6.7 Tuning View

The Tuning View child window allows selectable values to be displayed in an analog way, which
can be helpful for adjusting the optical setup.
Select from the Menu bar (Windows -> Tuning View) or simply click the icon. The tuning
view can display either two needle scales or 4 bar graphs. Each scale or graph can be assig-
ned to one of the following parameters:
· Sensor Saturation
· Total Power
· Ellipticity
· Beam Width 4s (X)
· Beam Width 4s (Y)
· Peak Position X
· Peak Position Y
· Centroid Position X
· Centroid Position Y
· Ellipse Diameter min.
· Ellipse Diameter max.
· Beam Width Clip X
· Beam Width Clip Y
58 © 2018 Thorlabs
On the scales, the observed minimum and maximum values are shown as blue triangles. They
can be reset using the buttons marked above.
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5.6.8 Beam Overlapping

The Beam Overlapping tool is useful to for adjusting the location of a light beam. For example,
two sources can be adjusted in such way that their spots overlap at a certain location and are
concentric.
Select from the Menu bar (Windows -> Beam Overlapping) or simply click the icon.
Take a snapshot of the reference position by clicking to the button "Save Shot 1" or "Save Shot
2". The software instantly starts to overlay the live 2D reconstruction from the Beam Profiler
with the captured snapshot. The overlay method can be selected in the box "Composite Mode":
Overlay "Plus"
In "Plus" mode the intensities of the snap shot and the live image are added. This eases the
adjustment particularly of regions with lower intensity.
60 © 2018 Thorlabs
Overlay "Lighten"
In "Lighten" mode, within the overlapping region only the "pixel" with higher intensity will be dis-
played; the intensities of the snapshot and the current beam are not added.
Overlay "Difference"
Finally, in the "Difference" mode, the intensities are subtracted. The more regions appear black
within the overlay, the better the live image fits to the snapshot.
The centroid shift between snapshot and live image is displayed in X and Y axis direction, R is
the resulting absolute distance between these centroids.
For improved visualization of the overlay, the intensities of the snapshot and the live image can
be weighted in 25% steps (slider).
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5.6.9 Plots
Thorlabs Beam software offers several additional plot windows to show the beam behavior:
Plot Positions 63
Plot Power 64
Plot Gaussian Fit 65
Plot Environment Data 66
Beam Stability 67
All plot windows are accessible via the "Windows" menu, while Plot Positions, Plot Power
and Beam Stability also have buttons in the toolbar. The diagrams can be cleared using the
"Clear Windows" command (Menu Bar -> Control or button).
Convenient view functions allow a detailed analysis of the parameter's behavior over time.
· Display / Hide a certain parameter: Appropriate buttons are located above the diagrams.
· Zoom Out: Press and hold left mouse button and mark the desired diagram area.
· Undo Zoom: Right click on the diagram to reproduce the previous zoom status.
· Zooming Diagram Axes
Move the mouse cursor over an edge of the vertical or horizontal scroll bar
ô ó
slider. The cursor changes to or . Press and hold left mouse button and
move the mouse. This will zoom in on the appropriate part of the diagram
axis. Return to default view by right clicking to the diagram.
· Panning the Diagram Axes
Move the mouse pointer over the center of the vertical or horizontal scroll bar
slider and press left mouse button. Now the slider can be moved to pan
(shift) across the diagram. Return to default view using the Zoom Home but-
ton.
· Autoscale: This button in the left toolbar returns the diagram to default view (auto scaled)
· Cursor Mode: If the mouse position is near to the vertical cursor line, the mouse cursor
changes to . The cursor line can be moved with the left mouse button pressed to a posi-
tion inside the diagram. The current values at the cursor position are shown in a rectangle
next to the cursor in the colors of the plotted curve.
The individual plot windows are explained in detail in the next sections.
62 © 2018 Thorlabs
5.6.9.1 Plot Positions

Toolbar: , Menu bar: Windows -> Plot Positions
The positions of X and Y peak and of X and Y centroid positions can be displayed vs. time.
Toolbar Icon Associated Action
Save Diagram or Image: Opens a dialog box to specify the properties of the
saved diagram or image.
Save Data: Opens a dialog box to specify the properties of the saved calcu-
lation data
Clear all plots
Show or Hide the grid in the diagram:
Autoscale ON/OFF
Show or hide the cursor
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5.6.9.2 Plot Power

Toolbar: , Menu bar: Windows -> Plot Power
The total power measured by the Beam Profiler vs. time can be displayed.
Note
The power indication of Thorlabs Beam Profiler instruments is not calibrated vs. wavelength, it
is based on a typical responsivity curve of the used photo diode and the manually entered
wavelength (see Optical Setup / Wavelength 33 )
lation data
Clear all plots
Autoscale ON/OFF
64 © 2018 Thorlabs
5.6.9.3 Plot Gaussian Fit

Menu bar: Windows -> Plot Gaussian Fit
This window plots the Gaussian Intensity value (see Calculation Results 52 ) which shows the
coefficient of determination of the fit.
lation data
Clear all plots
Autoscale ON/OFF
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5.6.9.4 Plot Environment Data

In this window the position of the X and Y centroids can be logged together with the reading of
an externally connected Thorlabs TSP01 temperature sensor vs. time.
The temperature axis is located to the left (yellow curve), the centroid position axis (blue and
green curves) is shown to the right.

lation data
Clear all plots
Autoscale ON/OFF
66 © 2018 Thorlabs
5.6.9.5 Beam Stability

Toolbar: , Menu bar: Windows g Beam Stability
This feature allows the beam stability vs. time to be recorded in a very versatile way. Accumu-
lated data can be retrieved in graphic display by enabling several plots:
Plots the trace of the centroid positions as blue line
Plots the most recent centroid position as yellow dot
Plots the trace of the rolling centroid positions 41 as a dark green
line
Plots the most recent rolling centroid position as a bright green
dot
Plots the trace of the reference positions 68 as dark red line
Plots the reference position as a bright red dot
Plots the Gauss / Bessel fitted centroid positions
Plots the smallest enclosing circle around centroid position cloud
Plot disabled
Plot enabled
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Most of the beam stability characteristics are given in numerically:

Data Count: The actual count of displayed measurement results.
Elapsed Time: Time since last start of stability measurement
Max. Distance to Reference Position of the centroid positions is given in distance (X), dis-
tance (Y) and as radial distance (R). The reference position can be defined in the Settings Dia-
log (see below the table 68 ) as either the oldest centroid position or the center of the centroid
positions data cloud.
Save Data: Opens a dialog box to specify the properties of the saved calcula-
tion data
Shows the Settings Dialog (see below)
Reset Data: Clears Beam Stability data only
Stops and restarts the measurements, clears all accumulated plot data
Sets the zoom factor so that all data points are located within the diagram area
Zoom out to the entire sensor area
Display results as dots or wired
Settings Dialog
Reference Position: Reference for calculation of beam stability.

Can be set to the center of the data cloud or to the oldest dis-
played data point.
Note
The maximum number of data points to be displayed, the handling of data points after reaching
the maximum and the time interval between two displayed data points is set in the menu Beam
Settings / Plot over Time Parameter 43 .
68 © 2018 Thorlabs
6 Measurement with the Beam Profiler

General Guidelines for Operating the Slit Scanning Beam Profiler BP209
To achieve correct and reliable measurement results, it is recommended that these basic
guidelines are followed.
1. Provide stable mounting of the Beam Profiler using the appropriate threads on its base
plate.
2. Be sure to operate the instrument within its allowed Power Range 155 .
3. Align the beam to be measured so that it is perpendicular to the front face of the Beam
Profiler.
4. Minimize ambient light entering the Beam Profiler aperture.
Attention
Do not stick anything into the Beam Profiler aperture! There is no glass or other protect-
ive barrier to protect the thin slit foils, the bearings of the motor, and/or the rotating
drum.
Prevent dust or other contamination from entering the aperture!
Keep beam power below the allowed limit to avoid damage to the instrument!
For accurate power measurements:

1. Enter the correct operating wavelength 33 .
2. Perform a Power Correction 34
Performance Optimization
As soon as a BP209 device is selected within the 'Device Selection' panel, the measurement
starts in the continuous mode. It may be advantageous to stop the continuous measurement for
a detailed analysis of a beam profile captured with the last image. Also, user interactions with
the GUI will work more fluently when the continuous flow of image data is stopped.
Measurement speed of the Beam Profiler depends on various device settings like the scan rate
(rotation speed of the scanning drum), target resolution, gain and bandwidth of the amplifier.
Also the number of open child windows used to visualize the measured results and the number
of activated numerical parameters to be calculated may reduce the available display update
rate, depending on the performance of your PC.
Note
1. For accurate measurement results (power values, M² results) the correct wavelength must
be entered. Thorlabs Beam Profiler instruments are not calibrated for power with respect to
the wavelength. The power calculation is based on a typical responsivity curve of the used
sensor and manually entered wavelength (see Beam Settings / Optical Setup 33 )
2. Ensure that the beam power is within the specifiedpower range 155 .
3. Align the laser beam so that it is perpendicular to the front panel.
6.1 Operating the Instrument

Be sure that the Beam Profiler is connected to the PC and the driver is installed properly as de-
scribed in chapter Connection to the PC 17 .
Start the Thorlabs Beam Application 7.0.
At the initial program start, the GUI opens and displays the Beam Settings panel, the Calcula-
tion Results, 2D Reconstruction and 3D Profile. Child windows can be opened and closed via
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the entries in the menu "Window" or via the symbols in the toolbar of the main window. The ac-
tivated windows can be sized and arranged as desired.
The recognized Beam Profiler will be connected automatically, and the continuous image ac-
quisition starts.
If more than one device was recognized during the initial application start, the first recognized
device will be connected and started. Please see section Start the Application 18 for details on
how to select a different device.
Verify the settings in the section Optical Setup 33 if you have started the Beam software for
the 1st time. More details on the hardware settings please see the Slit Beam Profiler
Parameter 36 section
Note
The configuration of child windows is saved when the BEAM software is exited. When the
BEAM software is next opened, these windows and their last positions and appearances are re-
stored. Also, the most recent device selection will be restored when restarting the BEAM applic-
ation, together with the most recent settings that were made in the settings panel.
The child window 2D Reconstruction 46 shows the measured intensity distribution across the
sensor area in gray or color scale whereas the 3D Profile 48 is plots the beam intensity with re-
spect to the 3rd dimension (Z scale). Numerical calculation results are displayed in the appro-
priate Calculation Results 52 window. The parameters to be calculated can be selected by click-
ing the icon in left upper corner the Calculation Results 52 window.
All contents of the child windows including available options are explained in chapter Child Win-
dows 45 .
70 © 2018 Thorlabs
6.2 Pass/Fail Test

The Calculation Results panel includes a pass/fail test.
For each parameter a minimum and / or maximum can be set as criteria.

Pass / fail test criteria can be set to "not below minimum", "not above maximum" or "between
minimum and maximum" by checking the appropriate boxes in the Min. and Max. columns.
Test results will be displayed in the column Test only for those parameters that are selected as
test criteria:
The selected test criteria was fulfilled; test passed.
The test criteria Min. was underrun; test failed
The test criteria Max. was exceeded; test failed
Note
Please note the following explanations of the parameters.
As per definition, the beam ellipse has a major and a minor axis. For a pass / fail test, for the
minor and major ellipse diameter a minimum and maximum value can be entered. In the ex-
ample given above, the "pass" ranges are:
- Minor axis diameter must be between Min. = 2500 and Max. = 2700 µm
- Major axis diameter must be between Min. = 2500 and Max. = 2700 µm
The test is passed only if both conditions are fulfilled.
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Handling Pass / Fail Test Settings and Results

Save Calculation Results
Lock / Unlock Test Parameters
Load Test Parameter Configuration
Save Test Parameter Configuration
Save Calculations opens a dialog box to enter file properties (name, format, comments). For
details please see the Calculation Results 54 section.
Lock By default, pass/fail test parameters are unlocked. They can be locked in order to prevent
manipulation of margins and parameters included in pass/fail test. Optionally, the lock can be
secured by entering a password.
Note
A password can be entered only once and cannot be changed! In case of troubles, please con-
tact Thorlabs for a solution.
Load / Save Test Parameter Configuration.
The Load and Save buttons in the Calculation Results toolbar allow you to load and save the
configuration of the pass/fail test.
In order to reconstruct a pass/fail test configuration automatically with the next session, save
the parameter to a test parameter configuration file. This file will be loaded with the next start of
the application. If more than one configuration file is saved, the most recently saved file will be
loaded automatically.
To load test parameter from a file click to the "Load Test Parameter" button and select the test
parameter configuration file.
72 © 2018 Thorlabs
6.3 Save Measurement Results

In addition to allowing the Calculation Results 54 to be saved, the Beam Software will:
· Export Device Data 73
· Print Windows 76
· Save a Test Protocol 77
6.3.1 Export Device Data

To export the data to a delimiter separated text document or to an image, select 'File g Export
Device Data ...' from the Menu.
A dialog opens and asks for the type of file and the path where to save the file.
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Select the desired path and file name

Intensity Value Text Matrix
This is a CSV (comma separated values) file format. The comment "Not for import" is related
only to importing into the Beam Software: A data file cannot be imported in order to reconstruct
a beam profile.
Intensity values are saved to a text matrix with a header:
74 © 2018 Thorlabs
Sequential Saving
The export of measurement data, described above, can be repeated sequentially, using the
Sequential Saving feature on the bottom of the Export Device Data panel. This feature gener-
ates one single file per data set, with appending the file name created by appending an incre-
mented index. The start index number can be freely selected between 1 and 10000. With each
saved measurement, the index is incremented by 1.
· Select the destination folder (see the preview pane).
· Enter the base file name.
· Select the export format.
· Add date and/or time stamp (optional)
· Check the box Index and define start index.
· Check the box "Sequential Saving"
· Save Data... Select either
® the time interval between two records (1 to 106 sec.)
or
® the n-th measurement to be recorded ( n = 1 to 105)
· Stop Saving after... Define when the sequential saving
shall be terminated:
® after reaching a certain file size (1 to 100 MB)
® after reaching a certain recording time (1 to 106 sec.)
® after reaching a certain number of data sets (1 to 105)
· Click "Start Sequential Saving"
Attention
For sequential saving, an index value is appended to the
selected file name. Make sure, the check box "Index" is
marked.
Once the box "Sequential Saving" is checked, the index-

ing is enabled automatically.
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6.3.2 Print Windows

g
Select 'File Print Application Window' or 'File g Print Active Window' to print screenshots of
the appropriate window.
If a PDF creating software is installed as a printer, the screenshot can be printed also as a PDF
file.
76 © 2018 Thorlabs
6.3.3 Save Test Protocol

To save a Test Protocol in pdf format select 'File à Save Test Protocol'.
A dialog box opens:
Here, additional information can be entered in order to save it together with the test report.
The results of the measurement are saved to a compact test protocol. It contains the Beam
Profiler data and settings and selected numerical calculation results 52 . If the Reconstruction
and the 3D Profile windows were activated, these plots will also be included.
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Example:
78 © 2018 Thorlabs
6.4 Pulsed Laser Sources

BP209 Beam Profilers can also be used to measure the profile of pulsed laser beams, although
the better choice for such applications is the Thorlabs Camera Beam Profiler BC106Nx.
Pulsed laser sources with high repetition rate and short pulse duration can be measured in the
same way as a CW laser. A typical example is a femtosecond laser, having repetition rates of
up to 100 MHz and pulse durations below 100 fs.
In such case, the photo diode current amplifier due to its limited bandwidth "sees" not a pulse
train, but virtually a CW signal.
The situation is different if the repetition rate is in the order of up to tens of kHz. In order to illus-
trate how to optimally setup the Beam Profiler, below are given two examples.
Used Laser System
· Thorlabs LPS-635-FC pigtailed laser diode with adjustable collimation package
· Controller ThorIabs ITC4001 in QCW mode (frep = 1kHz, tpulse = 100µs)
Scan Rate Setting
The scan rate can be set between 1.5 and 20 Hz, so it cannot be set equal to the pulse repeti-
tion frequency. In the above case, if the scan rate is set to 10Hz, each 100th pulse will be
scanned. Due to the high repetition frequency, previous and following pulses will also be dis-
played:
If set the scan rate in such way, that in X and Y profile the pulses move through the diagram
(i.e., so that the pulse rate slightly differs from an integer multiple of the scan rate), and activate
the max hold function function, the software will accumulate the peak intensities over a
number of subsequent pulses, and finally, the beam profile will be displayed - however, this is
the averaged profile over a number of subsequent pulses.
Note
The user should decide when the envelope shape smoothing can be considered to be finished.
Bandwidth Setting
It is recommended that the bandwidth be set manually. The guideline is the same as for CW
signals - the smaller the beam diameter, the higher the bandwidth is required: Small beam dia-
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meters cause short photo diode current pulses when the slit is scanning it. If the BW is set too
low, the rising edge of the photo diode current is delayed, and the falling edge overshoots. This
leads to an artificially lower peak amplitude.
The X profile of a 130 µm beam illustrates this:
Bandwidth - 125 kHz Bandwidth - 16 kHz
At larger beam diameters, higher bandwidth results in a higher noise level - as can be seen for
a beam with of about 3 mm:
Bandwidth 16 kHz Bandwidth - 125 kHz
Gain Index
For pulsed lasers, it is recommended that the gain index be set manually in order to avoid sat-
uration of the amplifier.
80 © 2018 Thorlabs
6.5 Knife Edge Mode

With the 5 µm slits, a beam diameter down to 20 µm can be measured in the standard slit
scanning mode. For beam diameters below 20 µm, the BP209 models offer the so called Knife
Edge Mode in combination with the 25 µm slit pair. As the beam diameter is smaller than the
slit width, during the scan different portions of the beam pass the slit and are incident on the
photo diode. This way, the measured power increases from zero to the total beam power, re-
mains shortly at this level and subsequently drops to zero again.
Since the drum position is known exactly, the original beam profile in the X and Y direction can
be reconstructed with a good resolution.
The knife edge mode requires a proper beam alignment - the beam should hit the sensor as
close to the center as possible. Further, the Beam Profiler must be set to its maximum resolu-
tion, i.e., minimum scan speed and maximum bandwidth.
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Preparation
· Set Gain Mode to "Automatic".

· Set X and Y Slit Bandwidth to "1000 kHz".
· Set Base Line Mode to "Manual".
· Set Photodiode Bias to "On" - this shortens the
rise/fall time of the photo diode.
· Set Aperture Width to "0.9 mm" - the software
uses only an area of Ø 0.9 mm in the sensor center
for calculation.
· Set Active Slit Pair to "25 µm".
· Set Scanning Mode (for alignment) to "Slit".
· Set Scan Rate to "2 Hz".
· Enable Scan Rate Correction.
Enable X and Y profiles.
Disable Gaussian and Bessel fits and zoom in the profiles. A proper alignment is reflected in a
maximum amplitude and a flat top of the profile. The flat top is a result of the small beam size
82 © 2018 Thorlabs
and the use of the 25 µm slits (see screen shots above). Then switch in the device settings dia-
log to Knife Edge mode:
Two new child windows come up (they may overlay each other initially), showing the recon-
structed knife edge profiles for the X and Y axis (green curve) along with the measurement data
obtained in normal slit scanning method data (dimmed yellow curve):
The numeric result window shows the beam parameters:
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7 Beam Quality (M²) Measurement

The Beam Quality panel can be opened from the menu bar (Menu Windows) or by clicking
the icon in the tool bar.
7.1 General
The M² value is an important measure of the beam quality. It is widely used in the laser industry
as a specification, and its method of measurement is defined in the ISO 11146 standard. It is
particularly useful to describe the degree of divergence and the focusability (minimum focus
diameter) of a real laser beam.
For more detailed information about Beam Quality, please see section M² Theory 134 .
Motivation
Many laser applications require maximum optical power density at minimum beam diameter.
Besides the focusing optics, the quality of the light source itself is the main influence to the fo-
cusability of the beam. A high beam quality is a pre-condition for optimal focusability.
Beam Quality
Beam Propagation measurements according to the standard ISO 11146 describe the beam
quality using a single parameter, which is either the Times-Diffraction-Limit Factor M2 or the
Beam quality K = 1/M2 (also known as beam quality factor or beam propagation factor).
Whereas the beam quality K is directly proportional to the quality level (K=1 optimal, decreasing
K stands for poorer quality), its reciprocal value M2 (M2=1 optimal, increasing M for poorer qual-
ity) is used more often.
2
Diffraction Limit
Depending on the wavelength l and beam divergence angle q, the theoretical limit for the min-
imum beam waist diameter d0 is called the diffraction limit. The beam waist cannot be de-
creased beyond this value.
M2 expresses how close the diffraction limit of the analyzed beam is to the diffraction limit of an
ideal Gaussian beam. The beam parameter product d0*q describes that mathematically. For
beams of worse quality, the product d0*q is increased by the factor M2
where d0 is beam waist at the focus and q - the divergence angle.

M2 is also known as
· the ratio of the waist diameter d0 of the measured beam to that of an ideal Gaussian
beam (TEM00) at the same divergence angle q.
· the ratio of the divergence angle q of the measured beam to that of an ideal Gaussian
beam (TEM00) at the same waist diameter d0,
Worse beam quality results from laser imperfections like inhomogeneities which lead to appear-
ance of higher transverse modes.
84 © 2018 Thorlabs
How to Measure Beam Quality

Ideal beam quality (K=1, M2=1) with a diffraction limited waist size is possible if only the funda-
mental mode TEM00 (which has an ideal Gaussian shape) exists. The existence of higher
modes decrease beam quality which leads to larger waist diameters. Often, such distortions
can be easily discovered by looking at the non Gaussian beam profile.
But in many cases, several higher modes are distributed in a way that generate a nearly Gaus-
sian shape but the beam itself suffers from a bad beam quality.
The following example shows a beam with nearly perfect Gaussian shape but having a multi-
mode origin leading to bad quality M2 = 1.79.
Note
A nearly Gaussian shape is not an indicator of high beam quality! Therefore, a single-shot
beam shape measurement from a Beam Profiler does not provide a correct information about
the beam quality.
Although a single Beam Profiler result is not a measure of beam quality, the Thorlabs Beam
Profiler Series can be used to accurately measure the beam quality. For this purpose, a beam
propagation measurement is carried out according to the ISO11146 standard. The key idea is
to measure the variation of beam diameter d(z) along the axis of beam propagation z.
The Beam Profiler is mounted on a translation stage which is controlled by the Beam Profiler
software. At several z positions the beam diameter and other parameters are measured and
stored.
Besides finding the times-diffraction-limit factor M2, the Thorlabs Beam Propagation meas-
urement determines the following parameters of an optical beam:
· beam waist width d0x, d0y
· beam waist z-position z0x, z0y
· Rayleigh range zRx, zRy
· divergence angle θx, θy
· waist asymmetry
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· divergence asymmetry
· astigmatism
Note
The Thorlabs Beam Quality measurement tool can handle CW sources and some pulsed
sources only! For more information about pulsed laser sources read chapter Pulsed Laser
Sources 79 .
7.2 Hardware Extensions

Thorlabs offers both the translation stages as extension and complete M² Meter Sets that in-
clude the stage and the Beam Profiler:

M2MS M2 Measurement System Extension Set
M2MS-AL M2 Measurement System Extension Set, 250 - 600 nm (AL mirrors)
M2MS-BC106UV-AL M2 Measurement System with BC106N-UV, 250 - 350 nm
M2MS-BC106UV-AL/M M2 Measurement System with BC106N-UV, 250 - 350 nm, metric
M2MS-BC106VIS M2 Measurement System with BC106N-VIS, 400 - 1100 nm
M2MS-BC106VIS/M M2 Measurement System with BC106N-VIS, 400 - 1100 nm, metric
M2MS-BP209VIS M2 Measurement System with BP209-VIS, 400 - 1100 nm
M2MS-BP209VIS/M M2 Measurement System with BP209-VIS, 400 - 1100 nm, metric
M2MS-BP209VIS-AL M2 Measurement System with BP209-VIS, 250 - 600 nm
M2MS-BP209VIS-AL/M M2 Measurement System with BP209-VIS, 250 - 600 nm, metric
M2MS-BP209IR M2 Measurement System with BP209-IR, 900 - 1700 nm
M2MS-BP209IR/M M2 Measurement System with BP209-IR, 900 - 1700 nm, metric
M2MS-BP209IR2 M2 Measurement System with BP209-IR2, 1000 - 2700 nm
M2MS-BP209IR2/M M2 Measurement System with BP209-IR2, 1000 - 2700 nm, metric
Note
Systems with aluminum (AL) mirrors are dedicated for use with UV Beam Profilers, as the
standard protected silver mirrors show a significant drop of reflectance below 400nm.
86 © 2018 Thorlabs
7.3 M2MS Operating Principle

The Thorlabs M2MS M² Meter System is a compact instrument that includes all components re-
quired to measure beam quality:
j
k
Beam Profiler (not shown below)
l
Linear Translation Stage Thorlabs DDSM100
m
Lenses with different AR coatings
n
Lens centering assembly (X-Y translation mount)
2 tilted mirrors
o
Adjustment Laser (not shown below)
Integrated control electronics (translation stage controller, USB 2.0 hub and driver for
alignment laser)
The beam under test enters the the focal lens (3), hits the two tilted mirrors (5) and leaves the
enclosure towards the Beam Profiler's input aperture (1). The translation stage is moved by the
control software stepwise, this way changing the path length between the focal lens and the
Beam Profiler. The maximum travel range of the stage (100 mm) is doubled by the use of two
mirrors so that the resulting path length range is 200 mm. The focal length of the lens is selec-
ted in such a way that the beam waist will be close to the middle of the travel range.
During the M² measurement, the stage moves stepwise along the beam propagation direction
and at each position the beam geometry is measured. From the results, the software calculates
beam parameters and beam quality.
The mirrors are factory aligned; there is no need to re-align them.
For fine beam alignment, an alignment laser is supplied. Please see section Beam Align-
ment 96 for details.
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7.4 Beam Diameter Requirements

The Beam Quality measurement is based on the determination of the waist diameter of a fo-
cused beam and the convergence (divergence) of the beam before (after) the beam waist.
Ideal Gaussian beams have the best focusability, which results in the minimum possible beam
diameter and M²=1. The absolute minimum waist diameter increases with as the focal length of
the lens increases. In other words, for a given focal length, the smaller the waist diameter the
closer M² is to 1.
The minimum waist diameter increases (at a constant M²) with the wavelength.
Limitations to the measurement of the beam diameter are given by the capabilities of the Beam
Profiler, see Technical Data 150 . The initial (unfocused) beam diameter must not exceed the
maximum measurable beam diameter, the waist diameter must be greater than the minimum
beam diameter. The following diagram illustrates the requirements for the initial beam diameter
depending on the wavelength and for M²=1 and M²=2 (lens with a focal length of 250 mm as
delivered with the M2MS system):
BP209 Series Beam Diameter Requirements
88 © 2018 Thorlabs
7.5 M² Meter Extension Set

The M² Meter Extension Set is compatible with all Thorlabs Beam Profilers of BP100, BP209
and BC106 Series. Suitable mounting adapters are supplied.
M2MS M² Measurement System Extension Set

with adapters for BC106 and BP209 beam profilers
© 2018 Thorlabs 89
BP209
7.6 M² Meter Set with BP209 Slit Beam Profiler

The M2MS-BP209 set features:
· Accurate M² Measurements
· Measures Divergence, Waist Diameter, Rayleigh Range and Astigmatism
· Compatible with CW and Quasi-CW Pulsed Laser Sources
· Short Measurement Cycles
· Fully ISO11146 Compliant
90 © 2018 Thorlabs
7.7 Setting Up
The M2MS Measurement System is a complete system that is factory aligned. The mounting
adapter for the Beam Profiler provides a secure and reproducible positioning of the Beam Pro-
filer's input aperture to the M2MS. This eases the mechanical setup.
Note
It is strongly recommended to fix the M2MS properly to the optical table using the four rail
clamps that are included in the M2MS Accessory Box. To ensure a proper mounting, first re-
move the rubber feet from the M2MS base plate.
Transportation Lock and Stop Position Latch
In order to avoid transportation damages to the translation stage, it is locked when delivered.
This lock must be removed prior to powering-up the stage, and it must be re-installed for trans-
portation. Additionally, the DDSM100 stage is fixed at its initial position by a solenoid controlled
latch, which is the left stop in the photo (2).This latch fixes the stage when the power supply is
switched off and releases the stage when power is applied.
Removal of the Transportation Lock
1. Remove the 4 screws fixing the top cover using a 0.05" hex key (supplied with the M2MS)
and remove the cover.
2. Remove the M4 screw that fixes the red stopper (1), and remove the stopper using the 3
mm ball driver included with the accessory box. Keep the stopper and the fixing screw in a
safe place.
1 - Transportation Lock
2 - Electromagnetic Endpoint Latch
3. Close the M2MS.
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Installing the Transportation Lock

1. Switch off the power supply.
2. Remove the 4 screws fixing the top cover using a 0.05" hex key (supplied with the M2MS)
and remove the cover.
3. Move the stop latch as indicated in the picture below and place the platform of the stage
against the left stop. Then install the transportation lock; don't tighten the fixing screw yet.
4. Push the platform to the left stop, turn the lock counterclockwise and tighten the lock
screw.
5. Place back the top cover and fix it using the 4 screws. Now, the M2MS is ready for trans-
portation.
92 © 2018 Thorlabs
7.7.1 Mounting the Beam Profiler

If you purchased a complete M2MS Measurement System that includes the Beam Profiler, you
can skip this section. Otherwise, if the Extension Set was purchased separately, please mount
your Beam Profiler as described in the following.
Install your BC209-xxx(/M) on the BP209 mounting adapter:
Firmly press the BC209-xxx front against the front stopper surface and secure it in place using
the supplied M6 (BP209-xxx/M) or 1/4" (BP209-xxx) hex screw.
Place the mounted Beam Profiler into the recess using the dowel pins on the M2MS base plate:
Fix it using the supplied M4x10 Hex screws.
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BP209
7.7.2 Connection to the PC

The M2MS comprises an integrated control electronics with translation stage controller, an USB
2.0 hub and a current source for the alignment laser.
j Switch to enable Alignment Laser

k Output connector for Alignment Laser
l USB 2.0 hub outputs (to Beam Profiler)
m USB 2.0 input (from PC)
n Yellow indicator "Stage active"
o Green indicator "Power On"
p DC power supply input
q M2MS power switch
Attention!
It is strongly recommended that only the supplied USB cables are used to connect the
Beam Profiler and the control PC to the M2MS. These cables were selected and tested
under point of fulfilling the entire USB 2.0 specifications. The operation systems Win-
dows® 7, 8.1 and 10 are less tolerant to deviation from this specification than former
operating systems.
The use of other than the supplied USB 2.0 cables may lead to USB connection instabilit-
ies.
Attention
Do NOT connect the M2MS to a computer prior to installing the Beam Software!
Attention!
Prior to connecting the M2MS to the power supply, make sure the transportation lock is
removed 91 ! Otherwise the stage drive may be damaged!
1. Connect AC power to the power supply and its output to the DC jack (7).
2. Connect the Beam Profiler using the supplied angled USB 2.0 cable to one of the USB hub
outputs (3).
3. Switch the M2MS on (8). The green Power On indicator lights up.
4. Connect the M2MS to the PC using the supplied 3 m long USB 2.0 cable; do not start the
BEAM software yet.
5. The PC's operating system recognizes the connected new hardware and performs the driver
installation:
94 © 2018 Thorlabs
Note
The first three entries ("AMD USB2.0 MTT Hub", "USB Test and Measurement Device (IVI)"
and the "APT USB Device") are hardware components of the M2MS extension.
6. Start the Beam Software. It should automatically connect to the Beam Profiler and to the
translation stage. This can be seen in the Beam Settings Panel:
7. Upon starting the Thorlabs Beam software, the translation stage will be initialized and homed
automatically. This means that it is recognized in the tab Stage Selection and moves to the
200 mm position in the case it's not there yet. This can take a few seconds. The initialization
can be forced manually by clicking the "Refresh Stage List" button in the Device Selection
window. After the stage is identified and its serial number is read-out, double click the
DDSM100(/M) button.
© 2018 Thorlabs 95
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7.8 M² Measurement
Prior to starting the Beam Quality measurements, the beam of the laser under test needs to be
aligned to the M2MS Measurement System. It is important that the beam center hits the center
of the Beam Profiler's aperture at every position of the translation stage. Please read the follow-
ing section carefully and follow the instructions.
7.8.1 Beam Alignment

Why Beam Alignment?
The Beam Profiler has a defined input aperture, so when moving the translation stage it must
be ensured that the laser beam remains within the aperture. Ideally, the beam centroid remains
centered within the aperture during movement of the stage - this is a precondition for correct
beam quality measurements.
The M2MS Measurement System is factory aligned. A beam entering the M2MS exactly parallel
the stage movement direction will remain centered to the Beam Profiler aperture during stage
movement. In other words, the beam alignment is dependent only on the position of the light
source. In the common case, the light source is a device with open beam output. In order to dir-
ect the beam under test into the M2MS, a combination of two adjustable mirrors is required,
Thorlabs offers a variety of such items.
The beam alignment is executed in 3 steps, guided by a software wizard:
1. Coarse alignment 97 : Determine the correct location of the Laser Under Test output aperture
by means of an auxiliary laser (included).
2. Beam Alignment 100 of the Laser Under Test for minimum beam displacement and pointing
angle without focusing lens.
3. Alignment of the focusing lens 104 for minimum beam displacement and pointing angle.
96 © 2018 Thorlabs
7.8.1.1 Coarse Alignment

For a coarse alignment, Thorlabs provides an alignment laser that is included with the access-
ory box. For this step, the alignment laser is mounted on the M2MS in place of the Beam Pro-
filer. It is mounted and aligned in such way that its output beam enters the M2MS exactly
centered in the Beam Profiler's aperture and is parallel to the stage movement direction. The
alignment beam is reverse directed - it virtually exits the Beam Profiler and is redirected by the
two mirrors of the stage into the center of the laser source aperture (see the drawing in section
M2MS Operating Principle 87 ).
Warning
Be careful when using this laser!
· Remove the Beam Profiler together with its mounting adapter from the M2MS base.
· Install the adjustment laser in place of the Beam Profiler and connect its 3.5 mm plug to
the Alignment Laser output (2) 94 .
· Make sure the M2MS is switched on and connected to the control PC, the Beam software
is started and the stage has been initialized.
· Remove the focal lens from the magnetic holder.
· Switch on the alignment laser.
· Align your optical system so that the spot of the alignment laser hits the center of your
light source.
© 2018 Thorlabs 97
BP209
7.8.1.2 Fine Alignment

After coarse alignment, the beam under test needs to be fine-adjusted using the Alignment
feature of the M² measurement panel. This is executed in two steps.
Preparation
· Switch off the alignment laser and replace it with your Beam Profiler.
· Remove the focusing lens (see ¤ in the drawing in the M2MS Operating Principle 87 sec-
tion).
· Connect the Beam Profiler to one of the M2MS USB outputs (¤, Connection to the PC 94
section).
· Make sure it is being recognized by the Beam software (Toolbar Device Selection 95 ).
If it is not recognized automatically, press the Refresh Device List button.
· Make sure the stage is recognized and initialized. If not, press the Refresh Stage List but-
ton 95 and after the stage was recognized, double click to the DDSM100 button. The
stage initializes and moves to the 200 mm position.
· Enable the Laser Under Test.
· Open M² child window either from the menu "Windows" -> "M² Quality Measurement" or
by clicking the button, and switch to the Alignment tab.
98 © 2018 Thorlabs
Explanation of indicators and icons

Start the Alignment Wizard 100
Start the Focusing Lens Alignment Wizard 104
Z [mm] This box shows the actual stage position; after initialization = 200 mm.
Position 1 (2) [mm] Here the left and right positions for the stage movement can be entered
numerically.
Markers for left and right positions. Instead of numerical entry of the
markers' positions, the markers can be move by drag-and-drop.
Clicking these capture buttons, the stage moves to the related position,
if not there yet, and captures the beam centroid position (amber
crosshair). This snapshot will remain until the stage comes back to the
appropriate position.
This button starts the stage loop movement mode and the stage moves
continuously between positions 1 and 2. A dwell time at the end positions
can be entered. During the loop mode, the software automatically cap-
tures the beam centroids (yellow cross hair) at the left and right stop.
Dwell Time Enter the desired time [sec]. The dwelling can be disabled by clicking to
the icon.
Centroid crosshair of the actual beam position.
Crosshair of the sensor center
Beam Displacement is the centroid shift in X (Y) direction between position 2 and 1 [mm]. The
box is first time filled after the 2nd capture.
Pointing Angle is the angle [°] in X (Y) direction between the beam axis and the stage
movement direction. The box is first time filled after the 2nd capture.
Alignment not successful
Alignment Success Alignment sufficient for correct Beam Quality Measurement (dis-
Indicator placement < 0.65 mm, angle < 0.35°)
Good alignment (displacement < 0.35 mm, angle < 0.15°)
AD Saturation Displays the current saturation of the Beam Profiler's AD converter. For
proper beam alignment function the value must be 40 to 95 % (BP209) /
20 to 95 % (BP10x). The green bulb to the right of the numeric field indic-
ates the "GOOD" range.
© 2018 Thorlabs 99
BP209
7.8.1.2.1 M² Beam Alignment Wizard

Note
Make sure the rotation mount is oriented upright so that the Y axis of the BP209 is located ver-
tically.
Press the Start Wizard button . You will be requested to select whether you want to adjust
for M² or Divergence Measurement. Make your choice:
The wizard starts:
· For a successful alignment, the optical power level must be adjusted in such way that the AD
Saturation is between 40 to 95 %. The green bulb to the right of the numeric field indicates
the "GOOD" range. During alignment this condition must not change!
· After initialization, the stage is at Position 2 (200 mm). Click the capture button of Position
2 - the centroid is captured, and its crosshair color changes to amber. As the actual beam
centroid that is marked by a blue crosshair, is located at the same position, the resulting
color is white:
100 © 2018 Thorlabs

Centroid captured at Position 2
· Click to the Position 1 capture button (0 mm). The stage moves to Position 1 and captures
the second centroid position:
· Now, the beam displacement and the pointing angle are displayed numerically.
© 2018 Thorlabs 101

BP209
· Align the beam position using the controls of your laser source. Subsequently click the cap-
ture button of position 1 and 2, observe the alignment, and improve it until all four alignment
criteria are fulfilled (bulbs must be at least yellow):
Well aligned beam position
· The movement of the stage between the two stop positions can be controlled automati-
cally by the software. Just push the loop button and enter a convenient dwell time value.
The stage starts a loop move, dwelling at the stop position for the given time. During the
dwelling a realignment can be made. Please keep in mind, that the numeric alignment in-
dicators are being updated only after the next move.

Alignment Move Loop
· The loop terminates by clicking the button.

· After finishing, click Next to continue.

BP209
7.8.1.2.2 Alignment of the Focusing Lens

· After finishing the Beam Alignment, the wizard guides you to the alignment of the focusing
lens. As a first step, capture the beam position without lens, then click 'Next':
· Verify that the holder of the focal lens is centered (markers on the CXY1 translator and
the lens holder should match), place the the mounted focal lens back to the magnetic
holder.
Make sure that the AD Saturation is still in green or at least yellow condition.
Observe the actual beam position and minimize the difference to the reference, using the
X-Y translators of the lens holder until the indicators are green or at least yellow.
· Then click 'Next' to finish the Focusing Lens Alignment.

· Select if you want to continue with M² measurement:

7.8.2 M² Measurement Panel

This section concerns the M2 measurement and its settings. Click in
the Beam Quality Measurement window to enter the M2 Measurement section.
The M² panel is divided into 6 subpanels:

1. Toolbar
M2 Settings Opens the Settings 107 for the M2 measurement

Auto Save Data Save Beam Profile Data during M² Measurement 111
Start / Stop Starts / stops a M2 measurement
M² Switches to M² measurement
Divergence Switches to Divergence measurement

After a successful M² measurement this button is enabled and
Save Data
plot data can be saved.
Grid Disables/Enables the grid in the diagram
PDF Test Protocol Saves the results of a M2 measurement into a PDF file
2. M² Diagram
The measured data are plotted in the diagram. The 4 buttons above the diagram allow the dis-
play to be configured: The buttons Beam Diameter X' (Y') enable / disable the display of the
measured data at the individual positions, while the buttons Hyperbolic Fit X' (Y') enable / dis-
able the curve fit to the measured data points.

BP209
After the measurement is finished, below the diagram the M² results for the X and Y axes are
displayed. To the left, an indicator shows if the measurement was successful and ISO compli-
ant. See also section M² Troubleshooting 118 .
The red marked button between the toolbar and the diagram expands the diagram over the
entire M² window
3. Numeric Results
In this area, the Beam Quality measurement results are displayed in detail. Please see section
M² Measurement Results 114 for more details.
4. Position Bar
The Position Bar below the M² Diagram shows the actual position of the translation stage as
seen before in the Alignment tab.
5. Selected Data Points
Select in the header of this sub-panel the Number of the desired measured data point. For this
selected point, the position of stage and the X and the Y profile of the beam are displayed. The
table Calculation Results of the Selected Point to the right contains the following information:
Parameter What Does it Show?

Position Shows the actual Z position of the translation stage in mm.
Azimuth Angle [deg] The displayed value is not relevant, it is always equal to 0°.
Ellipticity The ellipticity of the fitted to an ellipse beam (see Application Note 147 )
Beam Diameter X' [µm] Depending on the settings 107 , the beam diameter is displayed based
Beam Diameter Y' [µm] on Gauss fit, approximated ellipse or Beam Width Clip (1/e²).
The coordinate system is always related to the slit coordinates as
marked on the front panel of the Beam Profiler.
Centroid Position X' The positions of the beam centroids related to the slit coordinates as
Centroid Position Y' marked on the front panel of the Beam Profiler.
6. Status Bar
· Measurement progress bar
· Total number of measured data points
· Beam width setting for M² measurement
· Delay Line: Measurement range (difference between Start and Stop positions)
· Wavelength setting for beam quality calculation

7.8.3 M² Settings
For a successful and reliable measurement, the appropriate measurement settings are essen-
tial. Click to enter the M2 Measurement Settings dialog.
Beam Width
Gaussian Diameter: The beam
profile will be fit using a Gaus-
sian curve prior to the determin-
ation of the beam width. A
Gaussian fit can reduce the im-
pact of noise and/or unstable beam shape on the results.
Beam Width Clip (1/e²): This is the value specified in ISO
standard 11146-3. If a different clip level was used for normal
Beam Profiler operation this will be overwritten by the M² meas-
urement initialization.
Correct Beam Width: This option should be activated by de-
fault. Due to the finite slit width so called convolution errors
(blurred beam shape) appear, particularly at small beam diamet-
ers, that results in an artificial increase of the beam width. Since
this convolution error is systematic it can be calculated and elim-
inated. This feature increases the measurement accuracy, par-
ticularly when measuring narrow beams.
Measurement Parameters
Setting the wavelength is mandat-
ory for a correct M² measurement.
If the lasing wavelength is un-
known, measure the wavelength using a spectrometer.
Attention
Do not use the nominal wavelength of the laser, use the ac-
tual (measured) value! Accuracy of this input significantly
impacts the measurement accuracy.
Measurement Range
The Measurement Range determines the distance between the Start and Stop position, in
other words, the travel distance of the sleigh during the measurement. The travel distance can
range from 5 mm to the full length of the stage.
Min. Data Points is the (minimum) number of Z positions at which measurements will be
made.. The actual number depends also on the Scan Method.
Timeout is the waiting time until valid data can be retrieved from the Beam Profiler (e.g. in case
of slow travel speed).
Scan Method
The software provides two different kinds of scan
methods, the Normal Scan and the Coarse
Scan.
The Coarse Scan just moves the translation
stage from Start to Stop positions (or vice versa
depending on the position prior to start the measurement). The number of recorded beam
widths equates exactly to the entered number of Data Points.

BP209
The Normal Scan pursues an ISO compliant measurements. The ISO standard requires that
"... at least 10 measurements shall be taken. Approximately half of the measurements
shall be distributed within one Rayleigh Length on either side of the beam waist, and ap-
proximately half of them shall be distributed beyond two Rayleigh Lengths from the
beam waist."
The first run of the Normal Scan is executed with respect to the entered number of Data
Points, in other words, like a coarse scan. A preliminary Rayleigh Length is calculated in order
to evaluate if the number of measured data points is sufficient to fulfill the ISO standard require-
ments. If so, a hyperbolic fit is applied. If not, a second run adds additional measurements
within the Rayleigh Length on both sides and/or beyond twice the Rayleigh Length.
For a M2 measurement, running the Normal Scan is highly advised. The coarse scan is suitable
for a first estimate of the beam waist position or other preliminary measurements.
Reset
Restores the default settings for M² settings:

Parameter Default Setting
Beam Width Beam Width Clip (1/e²)
Wavelength 635 nm
Timeout 15 sec
Start 0 mm
Stop 200 mm
Min. Data Points 10
Scan Method Normal Scan
Device Settings
It is important to set Gain and Base Line Correction of the Beam Profiler to Auto; Bandwidth to
125 kHz (see Slit Beam Profiler Parameter 37 ).

7.8.4 Saving the M² Measurement Results

Besides the standard function "Save M² Test Results 109 " the Thorlabs Beam software offers an
automatic saving of beam profile data 111 when an M² measurement is executed.
7.8.4.1 Saving M² Test Results
The beam quality measurement results can be saved in two different ways:
1. Save Test Results
Save measurement data as CSV (default). The Save Test Protocol 77 dialog opens, select
the desired path, file name and file format (csv, txt or xls), fill in the desired fields and click
Save. Below is an example:

BP209
2. Save Test Protocol

Save measurement data as *.pdf file. The Save Test Protocol 77 dialog opens, fill in the de-
sired fields and click Save. The M² Measurement Results will appear in the PDF documents as
in the example below:

7.8.4.2 Saving Beam Profile Data During M² Measurement

The Thorlabs Beam Software V7.0 comes with a new feature: During an M² measurement, the
beam profile calculation results, the device data and the M² measurement results can be saved
automatically at each position of the translation stage.
To configure this automatic data export click the icon in toolbar on the left side of the M²
panel. A dialog opens:
Section Data Export
Select Enable to activate the automatic export. The toolbar icon changes to and the status
bar on the bottom of the GUI appears as
The Data Export remains active until Disable is checked. If the data shall be saved only once,
please check the boxes
Select Disable after next measurement to stop the automatic export after the first run of the
M² measurement.

BP209
Section Export Options

Here the data to be exported can be selected by checking the appropriate box.
Beam Profile Calculation Results can be saved as .csv, *.txt, or *.xls files. A single file is
saved; for each stage position the data are appended to the existing file. The export file con-
tains the header (information about Beam software version, time stamp of measurement start,
and information about the used beam profiler) and all calculation results (see section Calcula-
tion Results 52 ; option "Select All"). The name of this file is formed by appending the string
"data" to the base file name.
With Device Data enabled, at each stage position the intensity values that are retrieved from
the beam profiler are saved to an individual file. For device data and file formats, please see
section Export Device Data 73 . The name of this file is formed by appending the string "device"
to the base file name.
When M² / Divergence Measurement Results is enabled, the M² test results are saved in *.txt
or *.csv format as well; see section Saving M² Test Results 109 .
Section File
· Select the desired target file folder for the automatic data export.
· Choose a file name.
· Add the date (optional)
· Add the time stamp (optional)
· Add an index (optional). The index must be set manually!
· The box Preview shows the prefix of the file name with selected options.
When done, click OK. Now, the M² measurement with automatic data export can be started.
File Naming with Automatic Data Export
Beam Profile Calculation Results
prefix with date, time and manual index "Data" stands for Beam Profile Calculation Results
Device Data
prefix with date, time and manual index "Device" stands for Exported Device Data (here:intensity values of the
beam). Followed by individual time stamp and automatic index of the
appropriate stage position
M² / Divergence Measurement Results
prefix with date, time and manual index "Results" stands for M² test results

7.8.5 Running the M² Measurement

Prior to starting a measurement, make sure that the following conditions are fulfilled:
· The beam is aligned properly - it should ideally remain centered with respect to the sensor
center over the entire scan range. Section Beam Alignment 96 describes in detail how to
achieve this.
· The beam diameter should be in accordance with the Requirements to Beam Diameter 88
.
· The exact wavelength of the laser under test is well known, as the wavelength value influ-
ences the M² results.
· Reflections and interferences are avoided as far as possible.
· The laser system is warmed up - depending on the source this might take up to 1 hour.
· The laser output is spatially and temporally stable.
Start the measurement by clicking the Start button .
You will be prompted to confirm the laser wavelength:
Verify the wavelength and click OK.

While running the measurement most of the buttons and options are disabled, e.g. the M²
Measurement Settings and the Toolbar. This is intentional and prevents any settings changes
during the measurement.
The measurement can be interrupted at any time by clicking the Stop button .
After starting the measurement the X axis of the graph is adapted to the user-defined scan
range, for example from 50 to 125 mm. The Y axis scales automatically to the recorded beam
width.
If the Normal Scan is applied the scale on the graph zooms in when the fine scanning adds ad-
ditional data points. After this step (at the end of the measurement) the full scan range is shown
again.

BP209
7.8.6 M² Measurement Results

After a successful M2 measurement, the Beam Quality Measurement window appears as be-
low.
The green bulb indicates that the measurement was successful and fulfills the ISO 11146
standards:
In the case that a different from the ISO standard beam width criteria was used (see M² Set-
tings 107 ), a successful measurement is shown without the ISO indication:
In general, the X' and Y' axes do not coincide with the lab system (described by the X and Y
axes). Furthermore, the M² value for X' is independent from the one for Y'. For highly elliptical
beams, such as those from semiconductor lasers, M2X' and M2Y' will differ much more than in
this example.
Diagram Legend
Beam Diameter X'
Beam Diameter Y'
Hyperbolic Fit X'
Hyperbolic Fit Y'
These values can also be found in the listing of the complete results next to the diagram:

Waist Asymmetry stands for the ellipticity at the waist position and is calculated by taking the
ratio of the waist diameters in both X' and Y' directions. A waist asymmetry of 1.0 indicates a
round beam spot.
Divergence Asymmetry is the ratio of the divergence angles in Y and X axes. Values differing
from 1.0 indicate that the beam ellipticity is changing with Z position, for instance when an el-
liptical beam is focussed to a round spot.
Astigmatism is known as the effect that the beam waist in X and Y scan direction is not at the
same z position. So there is a difference between the positions of minimal spot diameters z0y
and z0y.
M² X' and M² Y' are the M² value for X' / Y' axis, calculated from the hyperbolic fit of the meas-
ured data points.
Rayleigh Length X' (Y') is the calculated distance [mm] from the beam waist position X' (Y') to
the position, where the beam diameter of the appropriate axis is Ö2 times larger than the waist
diameter. See also section M2 Theory 134 .
Waist Position X' (Y') Z position of the beam waist (smallest beam diameter). This is the calcu-
lated beam waist position in mm derived from the curve fit. This value may differ from the posi-
tion where the smallest beam width was measured.
Waist Diameter X' (Y') is the beam diameter in the X' (Y') direction at the focal point. This is
the calculated minimum beam diameter [µm], derived from the curve fit. This value may differ
from the smallest measured beam width.
Full Divergence Angle is explained in section M2 Theory 134 .
Note
All results are calculated from the applied fit!

BP209
Display the Results at a Certain Z Position

After measurement is finished, the calculated beam diameter, the beam centroid positions (X'
and Y'), and the beam ellipticity can be retrieved for a certain Z position from the diagram. To
do this, move the mouse pointer over the measured curves. For better visualization, the curves
can be zoomed by dragging a rectangle:
As soon as the mouse pointer hits a measurement point, its shape changes to . Click this
point. The position and calculated values corresponding to the clicked point will appear in the
Calculations Results of the Selected Point panel:
Note
In contrast to the Results pane, the results shown here are calculated from the measured data
point without a hyperbolic fit. Therefore, the diameter value displayed at the actual waist may
differ from the X' (Y') waist diameters.

Reference Measurement
After a M² measurement is completed, the results can be saved and afterwards used as a refer-
ence. To do this just click the button, the active results become the reference. Further, the
reference data are added to the diagram in a different color.
Reference Diagram Legend:

Beam Diameter Reference X'
Beam Diameter Reference Y'
Hyperbolic Fit Reference X'
Hyperbolic Fit Reference Y'
Clicking to the Clear icon deletes the reference data.
Please refer to section Saving M² Test Results 109 for details about how to save the results of
the beam quality measurement.

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7.8.7 M² Troubleshooting
Below are examples of typical problems that may occur and appropriate recommendations for
resolving them.
q The beam does not hit the sensor at all positions of the stage.
Perform a proper Beam Alignment 96 .
q A timeout occurs during a measurement.
A timeout always occurs when the Beam Profiler does not deliver a valid image within the set
time-out interval. This may be caused by:
· Saturation of the photo diode. To resolve, decrease incident optical power, or alternatively
use a lens with larger focal length if possible; this will increase the diameter of the focal
spot and in this way lower the focal power density.
· The beam power is too low.
· The beam size is too small and no ellipse could be calculated (if Clip Level Ellipse is se-
lected as beam width). Use a lens with a longer focal length to increase focal beam size.
· The beam is outside the aperture. Align the beam, see section Beam Alignment 96 .
q M² measurement is carried out, but is displayed, no M² results

Make sure for correct Device Settings 36 .
q The M² value differs substantially from the expected value.

For example, the beam has a nearly Gaussian intensity distribution and M² values are larger
than 1.1:
· Check set wavelength (see M² Settings 107 )
· Check Clip Level of the Calculation Area:
4 If the selected Clip Level is too high, the beam might be cut off and the measured beam
area might be smaller than the actual beam extend. This results in a too small beam
4
waist and a too small M² (even below 1).
If the selected Clip Level is too low, the Calculation Area and the measurement captures
the beam plus noise around the beam. The measured beam width is then larger than
the actual beam width. This leads to an increased M².
q M² is smaller than 1.0 - How can this be?

M² values < 1.0 are non-physical but may be due to
· The accuracy of the measured result. A error of 5% should be considered.
· The wavelength setting was not made properly. Set the wavelength to the correct value;
M² results will be corrected without running a new measurement.
q The beam profile looks distorted (particularly, at the end positions of the stage).
Even if a laser is expected to produce a Gaussian beam with M² = 1.0, the beam still can be in-
fluenced by every optical element between laser and Beam Profiler. For instance, a focusing
lens could be mounted with a tilt or could produce a height distortion which results in optical ab-
errations and reduced beam quality.
Filters and mirrors may impact on the beam profile as well in the case that surfaces are con-
taminated. Clean surfaces according to manufacturer's instructions.

q Error message
"The M2 Measurement has been aborted: Insufficient beam diameter variation over the selec-
ted scan range."
The software could not locate sufficient measurement points within the doubled Rayleigh
Length.
· Extend the Measurement Range 107 .
· Select a focusing lens with a shorter focal length.
· Rule of the thumb: the beam diameter variation within the scan range should not underrun
a ratio of 1:2.5 at least at one side of the beam waist - see the example below.
q Error message
"The measurement is not ISO compliant, because there are not enough data points inside the
Rayleigh Length X (Y)(xx mm) or beyond twice the Rayleigh Length"
· The software could not measure with the required resolution.
· Increase the minimum number of data points (see M² Settings 107 ).
· If the error message persists, increase the scan range as well.

BP209
q Error message
"The M2 measurement has been aborted because fit cannot be calculated."

· The calculation of the hyperbolic fit from the measured data points is impossible. Possible
reasons are, for example, that the beam waist is far away from the scan range, or that no
focal lens was used.
· Reset the M² Settings to default - that sets the scan range to its maximum.
· Check your setup to make sure the beam waist is within the scan range.
· If no focal lens was used, only a divergence measurement is possible!
q Error message
"Waist position outside the scan range. Extend the scan range or switch to divergence meas-
urement."
· The calculation of the hyperbolic fit from the measured data points resulted in a beam
waist position outside the scan range. Usually this happens if the beam waist is close to
one of the scan end positions. Extend the scan range.
· Reset the M² Settings to default - that sets the scan range to its maximum

7.9 Divergence Measurement

The Divergence Measurement calculates the divergence angle of an unfocused convergent or
divergent beam by measuring the beam diameter at different points along beam propagation
axis. A linear fit is applied to the measured data.
The measurement technique is very similar to the Beam Quality (M²) measurement, thus the
same hardware can be used with exception of the focusing lens.
The Divergence Measurement is part of the Beam Quality measurement tool and uses the
M2MS extension as well.
7.9.1 Beam Alignment

Why Beam Alignment?
The Beam Profiler has a defined input aperture, so when moving the translation stage it must
be ensured that the laser beam remains within the aperture. Ideally, the beam centroid remains
centered within the aperture during movement of the stage - this is a precondition for correct
beam quality measurements.
The M2MS Measurement System is factory aligned. A beam entering the M2MS exactly parallel
the stage movement direction will remain centered to the Beam Profiler aperture during stage
movement. In other words, the beam alignment is dependent only on the position of the light
source. In the common case, the light source is a device with open beam output. In order to dir-
ect the beam under test into the M2MS, a combination of two adjustable mirrors is required,
Thorlabs offers a variety of such items.
The beam alignment is executed in 2 steps, guided by a software wizard:
1. Coarse alignment 122 : Determine the correct location of the Laser Under Test output aperture
by means of an auxiliary laser (included).
2. Beam Alignment 123 of the Laser Under Test for minimum beam displacement and pointing
angle.

BP209
7.9.1.1 Coarse Alignment

For a coarse alignment, Thorlabs provides an alignment laser that is included with the access-
ory box. For this step, the alignment laser is mounted on the M2MS in place of the Beam Pro-
filer. It is mounted and aligned in such way that its output beam enters the M2MS exactly
centered in the Beam Profiler's aperture and is parallel to the stage movement direction. The
alignment beam is reverse directed - it virtually exits the Beam Profiler and is redirected by the
two mirrors of the stage into the center of the laser source aperture (see the drawing in section
M2MS Operating Principle 87 ).
Warning
Be careful when using this laser!
· Remove the Beam Profiler together with its mounting adapter from the M2MS base.
· Install the adjustment laser in place of the Beam Profiler and connect its 3.5 mm plug to
the Alignment Laser output (2) 94 .
· Make sure the M2MS is switched on and connected to the control PC, the Beam software
is started and the stage has been initialized.
· Remove the focal lens from the magnetic holder.
· Switch on the alignment laser.
· Align your optical system so that the spot of the alignment laser hits the center of your
light source.

7.9.1.2 Fine Alignment

After coarse alignment, the beam under test needs to be fine-adjusted using the Alignment
feature of the M² measurement panel. This is executed in two steps.
Preparation
· Switch off the alignment laser and replace it with your Beam Profiler.
· Remove the focusing lens (see ¤ in the drawing in the M2MS Operating Principle 87 sec-
tion).
· Connect the Beam Profiler to one of the M2MS USB outputs (¤, Connection to the PC 94
section).
· Make sure it is being recognized by the Beam software (Toolbar Device Selection 95 ).
If it is not recognized automatically, press the Refresh Device List button.
· Make sure the stage is recognized and initialized. If not, press the Refresh Stage List but-
ton 95 and after the stage was recognized, double click to the DDSM100 button. The
stage initializes and moves to the 200 mm position.
· Enable the Laser Under Test.
· Open M² child window either from the menu "Windows" -> "M² Quality Measurement" or
by clicking the button, and switch to the Alignment tab.

BP209
Explanation of indicators and icons

Start the Alignment Wizard 100
Start the Focusing Lens Alignment Wizard 104
Z [mm] This box shows the actual stage position; after initialization = 200 mm.
Position 1 (2) [mm] Here the left and right positions for the stage movement can be entered
numerically.
Markers for left and right positions. Instead of numerical entry of the
markers' positions, the markers can be move by drag-and-drop.
Clicking these capture buttons, the stage moves to the related position,
if not there yet, and captures the beam centroid position (amber
crosshair). This snapshot will remain until the stage comes back to the
appropriate position.
This button starts the stage loop movement mode and the stage moves
continuously between positions 1 and 2. A dwell time at the end positions
can be entered. During the loop mode, the software automatically cap-
tures the beam centroids (yellow cross hair) at the left and right stop.
Dwell Time Enter the desired time [sec]. The dwelling can be disabled by clicking to
the icon.
Centroid crosshair of the actual beam position.
Crosshair of the sensor center
Beam Displacement is the centroid shift in X (Y) direction between position 2 and 1 [mm]. The
box is first time filled after the 2nd capture.
Pointing Angle is the angle [°] in X (Y) direction between the beam axis and the stage
movement direction. The box is first time filled after the 2nd capture.
Alignment not successful
Alignment Success Alignment sufficient for correct Beam Quality Measurement (dis-
Indicator placement < 0.65 mm, angle < 0.35°)
Good alignment (displacement < 0.35 mm, angle < 0.15°)
AD Saturation Displays the current saturation of the Beam Profiler's AD converter. For
proper beam alignment function the value must be 40 to 95 % (BP209) /
20 to 95 % (BP10x). The green bulb to the right of the numeric field indic-
ates the "GOOD" range.

7.9.1.3 Divergence Beam Alignment Wizard

Note
Make sure the rotation mount is oriented upright so that the Y axis of the BP209 is located ver-
tically.
Press the Start Wizard button . You will be requested to select whether you want to adjust
for M² or Divergence Measurement. Make your choice:
The wizard starts:
· For a successful alignment, the optical power level must be adjusted in such way that the AD
Saturation is between 40 to 95 %. The green bulb to the right of the numeric field indicates
the "GOOD" range. During alignment this condition must not change!
· After initialization, the stage is at Position 2 (200 mm). Click the capture button of Position
2 - the centroid is captured, and its crosshair color changes to amber. As the actual beam
centroid that is marked by a blue crosshair, is located at the same position, the resulting
color is white:

BP209
· Click to the Position 1 capture button (0 mm). The stage moves to Position 1 and captures
the second centroid position:
· Now, the beam displacement and the pointing angle are displayed numerically.

· Align the beam position using the controls of your laser source. Subsequently click the cap-
ture button of position 1 and 2, observe the alignment, and improve it until all four alignment
criteria are fulfilled (bulbs must be at least yellow):
Well aligned beam position
· The movement of the stage between the two stop positions can be controlled automati-
cally by the software. Just push the loop button and enter a convenient dwell time value.
The stage starts a loop move, dwelling at the stop position for the given time. During the
dwelling a realignment can be made. Please keep in mind, that the numeric alignment in-
dicators are being updated only after the next move.

BP209
Alignment Move Loop
· The loop terminates by clicking the button.

· After finishing, click Next to continue.

7.9.2 Divergence Measurement Panel

The Divergence Measurement Panel is a derived from M² Measurement window:
The Divergence Measurement panel is divided into 6 sub panels:

1. Toolbar
Divergence Set-
Opens the settings for the Divergence measurement 131
tings
Auto Save Data Save Beam Profile Data during M² Measurement 111
Start / Stop Starts / stops a Divergence measurement
M² Switches to M² measurement
Divergence Switches to Divergence measurement

After a successful Divergence measurement this button is enabled
Save Data
and plot data can be saved.
Grid Disables/Enables the grid in the diagram
PDF Test Protocol Saves the results of a Divergence measurement into a PDF file
2. Divergence Diagram
The measured data are plotted in the diagram. The 4 buttons above the diagram allow the dis-
play to be configured: The buttons Beam Diameter X' (Y') enable / disable the display of the
measured data at the individual positions, while the buttons Divergence Fit X' (Y') enable / dis-
able the curve fit to the measured data points.

BP209
After the measurement is finished, below the diagram the Divergence results for the X and Y
axes are displayed. To the left, an indicator shows if the measurement was successful.
The red marked button between the toolbar and the diagram expands the diagram over the
entire Divergence window.
3. Numeric Results
In this area, the beam quality measurement results are displayed in detail. Please see section
Divergence Measurement Results 133 for more details.
4. Position Bar
The Position Bar below the Divergence Diagram shows the actual position of the translation
stage as seen before in the Alignment 98 tab.
5. Individual Data Points
Select in the header of this sub-panel the Number of the desired measured data point. For this
selected point, the position of stage and the X and the Y profile of the beam are displayed. The
table Calculation Results of the Selected Point to the right contains the following information:
Parameter What does it show?

Position Shows the actual Z position of the translation stage in mm.
Azimuth Angle [deg] The displayed value is not relevant, it is always equal to 90°.
Ellipticity The ellipticity of the fitted to an ellipse beam (see Application Note 147 )
Beam Diameter X' [µm] Depending on the settings 107 , the beam diameter is displayed based
Beam Diameter Y' [µm] on Gauss fit, approximated ellipse or Beam Width Clip (1/e²).
The coordinate system is always related to the slit coordinates as
marked on the front panel of the Beam Profiler.
Centroid Position X' The positions of the beam centroids related to the slit coordinates as
Centroid Position Y' marked on the front panel of the Beam Profiler.
6. Status Bar
· Measurement progress bar
· Total number of measured data points
· Beam width setting for divergence measurement
· Delay Line: Measurement range (difference between Start and Stop positions)
· Wavelength setting (not relevant for divergence calculation)

7.9.3 Divergence Measurement Settings

For a successful and reliable measurement, the appropriate measurement settings are essen-
tial. Click to to enter the Divergence Measurement Settings.
Beam Width
The Beam Width calculation is based on an ellipse-based
approximation with two possible clip levels. At the begin-
ning of a measurement a reference angle is determined by
averaging over 10 frames. This angle is then used to eval-
uate all following frames and ellipses.
Measurement Parameters
The wavelength is not relevant for divergence measure-
ment.
Measurement Range
determines the distance from the starting to the stopping
point over which the sleigh is driven during the measure-
ment. Start has to be at least 5 mm smaller than Stop and
5 mm < Stop < stage length.

Note
It is advisable to set up a scan range > 40 mm to ensure
higher accuracy. A scan over the entire translation length
is often the best choice.
Timeout is the waiting time until valid data can be retrieved from the Beam Profiler (e.g. in case
of slow travel speed)
Stage Position After Scan
is not relevant for divergence measurement.
Angle Unit
Degree or milliradian can be selected.
Reset
Restores the default settings for divergence settings:

Parameter Default Setting
Beam Width Beam Width Clip (1/e²)
Start 0 mm
Stop 200 mm
Min. Data Points 10
Timeout 15 sec
Device Settings
It is important to set Gain and Bandwidth of the Beam Profiler (see Slit Beam Profiler
Parameter 37 ) to Auto.

BP209
7.9.4 Saving the Divergence Measurement Results

Besides the standard function "Save Divergence Measurement Results" the Thorlabs Beam
software offers an automatic saving of beam profile data when a Divergence measurement is
executed.
For details, please see section Saving the M² Measurement Results 109 .
Note
The Divergence measurement results cannot be saved as PDF Test Protocol, only as CSV,
TXT or XLS files.
7.9.5 Running the Divergence Measurement

The divergence measurement is designed to measure low divergent or convergent beam
propagation. Therefore, the measurement requires removing any focusing elements which pro-
duce a beam waist within the scan range.
Prior to starting the measurement, make sure that:
· The beam is aligned properly - it should ideally remain centered with respect to the sensor
center over the entire scan range. See chapter Beam Alignment 121 for aligning the beam.
· Reflections and interferences are avoided as far as possible.
· The laser system is warmed up - depending on the source this might take up to 1 hour.
· The laser output is spatially and temporally stable.
Start the measurement by clicking the Start button .

While running the measurement, most of the buttons and options are disabled, e.g. the Diver-
gence measurement settings and the toolbar. This prevents the modification of settings during
a measurement.
If necessary, the measurement can interrupted by clicking the Stop button .
After starting the measurement the X axis of the graph is adapted to the user-defined scan
range, for example from 0 to 120 mm. The Y axis scales automatically to the recorded beam
widths.

7.9.6 Divergence Measurement Results
The green bulb indicates that the measurement was successful.
These values can also be found in the listing of the complete Results.
Negative values indicate a converging beam, while positive values indicate a diverging beam.
Note
All results are calculated from the applied linear fit!
Full Divergence Angle X' (Y') is explained in chapter M² Theory 134 .
Divergence Asymmetry Asymmetry is the quotient of divergence angles in Y and X scan direc-
tions. Values differing from 1.0 indicate that the beam ellipticity is changing with z position, for
instance an elliptical beam is focused to a round spot.
Reference Measurement
The actual measurement results can be saved and used as reference afterwards, same as for
M² Measurement Results 117 .

BP209
7.10 M² Theory
The diameter d(z) of a focused laser beam increases with distance z from its waist position and
can be calculated as follows:
with
d0 Waist Diameter
zR Rayleigh Length
l Wavelength
In this equation it was assumed that the waist location is at zero. Otherwise z has to be re-
placed with (z-z0)
The Rayleigh Length zR determines the distance from the beam waist to the position where the
beam diameter has increased by a factor of Ö2 = 1.41 compared to the minimum diameter at
the waist.
From the equation for d(z) it can be seen that the beam diameter increases linearly with z in the
far field (z >>zR ). The full divergence angle Θ can be calculated by
For laser beams with fundamental mode TEM00 (Gaussian Beam shape) it can be theoretically
shown that the Rayleigh Length is given by
Thus the product of the minimum diameter of a Gaussian beam (at waist) and the divergence
angle (AKA 'Beam Parameter Product', BPP) is constant for a given wavelength:

For mode mixture (MM) beams, i.e. beams which feature higher order modes than just the fun-
damental mode TEM00, the product of beam diameter and divergence increases by a factor of
M².
Finally, the times-diffraction-limit factor M2 is calculated by
The Rayleigh Length is now given by
The reciprocal of the times-diffraction-limit factor M2 is called the beam propagation factor or
beam quality K.
The following table illustrates the differences between a perfect Gaussian beam and non-per-
fect beam.
Parameter Gaussian Beam Mode Mixture Beam
Times-diffraction-limit factor M2 1 >1
Beam propagation factor = Beam quality K 1 <1
Beam waist for given lens minimal larger
Divergence angle q at given beam waist d0 narrow wider
Reasons for Non-Ideal Gaussian Beam with M2 > 1
Using a Gaussian beam is preferred because of its minimum divergence angle and the ability to
achieve the minimal focus diameter. Differences to Gaussian shape can be due to
· existence of higher order modes
· amplitude and phase distortions due to inhomogeneous gain medium in lasers
· presence of extraordinary beams
These distortions lead to a larger beam waist compared to Gaussian beams when the same fo-
cal lens is used. This results in a lower maximum achievable power density in the focal point.
Comparison of Propagation Between Fundamental Mode TEM00 (Ideal Gaussian beam)
and Mode Mixture Beams
With a given divergence angle (i.e. knowing the focal length of the lens), the fundamental mode
alone produces the theoretically smallest possible beam waist (green curve). If beam quality
worsens (red curve), the beam waist increases. If divergence is fixed, beam waist increases lin-
early by the factor M2 compared to the underlying Gaussian.

BP209
The appropriate power density at z0 is reduced by a factor (M²)². Also the Rayleigh Length in-
creases by a factor of M².

8 Write Your Own Application

In order to write your own application, you need a specific instrument driver and some tools for
use in different programming environments. The driver and tools are installed to your computer
during software installation and cannot be found in the installation package.
In this section the location of drivers and files, required for programming in different environ-
ments, are given for installation under Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 (32 and 64
bit).
In order to fully support 64 bit LabView version, the installation package provides two installer
components, the 32bit and the 64bit component:
· for Windows 7 (32/64 bit), Windows 8.1 (32/64 bit) and Windows 10 (32/64 bit): Install
"Thorlabs Beam VXIpnp Instrument Driver (32bit)"
· for Windows 7 (64 bit), Windows 8.1 (64 bit) and Windows 10 (64 bit): Install "Thorlabs
Beam VXIpnp Instrument Driver (64 bit)"
In other words, the 32 bit VXIpnp driver works with both 32 and 64 bit operating systems, while
the 64 bit driver requires a 64 bit operating system.
Note
Beam software and drivers contain 32 bit and 64 bit applications.
In 32 bit systems, only the 32 bit applications are installed to
C:\Program Files\...
In 64 bit systems the 64 bit components are being installed to
C:\Program Files\...
while necessary 32 bit components can be found at
C:\Program Files (x86)\...
In the table below you will find a summary of what files you need for particular programming en-
vironments.
Programming environment Necessary files
C, C++, CVI *.h (header file)
*.lib (static library)
C# .net wrapper dll
Visual Studio *.h (header file)
*.lib (static library) or .net wrapper dll
LabView *.fp (function panel) and NI VISA instrument driver.
Beside that, LabVIEW driver vi's are provided with the *.llb con-
tainer file.
Note: LabVIEW drivers and components are installed only, if a
LabVIEW installation was recognized.
Note
All above environments require also the NI VISA instrument driver dll !
During NI-VISA Runtime installation, a system environment variable VXIPNPPATH for including
files is created. It stores information where the drivers are installed, usually to C:\Program
Files\IVI Foundation\VISA\WinNT\.
This is the reason why a system reboot is required after the installation of a NI-VISA Runtime:
This environment variable is necessary for installation of the application software components.
In the next sections the location of above files for all hardware, supported by Beam software
drivers, is described in detail.

BP209
8.1 32 bit Operating System

Note
According to the VPP6 (Rev6.1) Standard the installation of the 32 bit VXIpnp driver includes
both the WINNT and GWINNT frameworks.
VXIpnp Instrument driver:
C:\Program Files\IVI Foundation\VISA\WinNT\Bin\TLBP2_32.dll
Note
This instrument driver is required for all development environments!
Header file
C:\Program Files\IVI Foundation\VISA\WinNT\include\TLBP2.h
Static Library
C:\Program Files\IVI Foundation\VISA\WinNT\lib\msc\TLBP2_32.lib
Function Panel
C:\Program Files\IVI Foundation\VISA\WinNT\TLBP2\TLBP2.fp
Online Help for VXIpnp Instrument driver:
C:\Program Files\IVI Foundation\VISA\WinNT\TLBP2\Manual\TLBP2.html
NI LabVIEW driver
The LabVIEW Driver is a 32 bit driver and compatible with 32bit NI-LabVIEW versions 8.5 and
higher only.
C:\Program Files\National Instruments\LabVIEW xxxx\Instr.lib\TLBP2…
…\TLBP2.llb
(LabVIEW container file with driver vi's and an example. "LabVIEW xxxx" stands for actual
LabVIEW installation folder.)
.net wrapper dll
C:\Program Files\Microsoft.NET\Primary Interop Assemblies…
…\Thorlabs.TLBP2_32.Interop.dll
C:\Program Files\IVI Foundation\VISA\VisaCom\…
…\Primary Interop Assemblies\ Thorlabs.TLBP2_32.Interop.dll
Example for C
Project file:
C:\Program Files\IVI Foundation\VISA\WinNT\TLBP2\Examples\…
…\CVI Sample\CSample.prj
Source file:
…\CVI Sample\CSample.c
Executable sample demo:
…\CVI Sample\CSample.exe

Example for C#
Solution file:
C:\Program Files\IVI Foundation\VISA\WinNT\TLBP2\Examples…
…\MS VS 2012 CSharp Demo\DotNet_Sample\Thorlabs.BP2_CSharpDemo…
…\Thorlabs.BP2_CSharpDemo.sln
Project file:
C:\Program Files\IVI Foundation\VISA\WinNT\TLBP2\Examples …
…\Thorlabs.BP2_CSharpDemo.csproj
C:\Program Files\IVI Foundation\VISA\WinNT\TLBP2\Examples …
…\output\Thorlabs.BP2_CSharpDemo.exe
Example for LabView
…\TLBP2.llb

BP209
8.2 64 bit Operating System

Note
According to the VPP6 (Rev6.1) Standard the installation of the 64 bit VXIpnp driver includes
the WINNT, WIN64, GWINNT and GWIN64 frameworks. That means, that the 64 bit driver in-
cludes the 32 bit driver as well.
In case of a 64 bit operating system, 64bit drivers and applications are installed to
“C:\Program Files”
while the 32 bit files - to
“C:\Program Files (x86)”
Below are listed both installation locations, so far applicable.
VXIpnp Instrument driver:
C:\Program Files (x86)\IVI Foundation\VISA\WinNT\Bin\TLBP2_32.dll
C:\Program Files\IVI Foundation\VISA\Win64\Bin\TLBP2_32.dll
C:\Program Files\IVI Foundation\VISA\Win64\Bin\TLBP2_64.dll
Note
This instrument driver is required for all development environments!
Header file
C:\Program Files (x86)\IVI Foundation\VISA\WinNT\include\TLBP2.h
C:\Program Files\IVI Foundation\VISA\Win64\include\TLBP2.h
Static Library
C:\Program Files (x86)\IVI Foundation\VISA\WinNT\lib\msc…
…\TLBP2_32.lib
C:\Program Files\IVI Foundation\VISA\Win64\lib\msc\TLBP2_32.lib
C:\Program Files\IVI Foundation\VISA\Win64\Lib_x64\msc\TLBP2_64.lib
Function Panel
C:\Program Files (x86)\IVI Foundation\VISA\WinNT\TLBP2\TLBP2.fp
Online Help for VXIpnp Instrument driver:
C:\Program Files (x86)\IVI Foundation\VISA\WinNT\TLBP2\…
…\Manual\TLBP2.html
NI LabVIEW driver
The LabVIEW Driver supports 32bit and 64bit NI-LabVIEW2009 and higher.
…\TLBP2.llb

.net wrapper dll

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft.NET\Primary Interop Assemblies…
…\Thorlabs.TLBP2_32.Interop.dll
C:\Program Files (x86)\IVI Foundation\VISA\VisaCom\…
…\Primary Interop Assemblies\Thorlabs.TLBP2_32.Interop.dll
C:\Program Files\IVI Foundation\VISA\VisaCom64\…
…\Primary Interop Assemblies\Thorlabs.TLBP2_64.Interop.dll
Example for C
Project file:
C:\Program Files (x86)\IVI Foundation\VISA\WinNT\TLBP2\Examples\…
…\CVI Sample\CSample.prj
Source file:
…\CVI Sample\CSample.c
…\CVI Sample\CSample.exe

BP209
9 Maintenance and Repair

Protect the Beam Profiler from adverse environmental conditions. The Beam Profiler is not wa-
ter resistant.
Attention
To avoid damage to the instrument, do not expose it to spray, liquids or solvents!
The unit does not need a regular maintenance by the user.
The BP209 does not contain any modules that could be repaired by the user himself. If a mal-
function occurs, please contact Thorlabs first. If necessary, you will be provided with the re-
quired return information.
Do not remove covers!
9.1 Version and Other Information
The menu entry Help à About Thorlabs displays relevant Beam software data.
In case of a support request, please submit the software version of the application. This will
help to locate the error.
9.2 Cleaning
The Beam Profiler has parts (slits) mounted to the drum that are sensitive to mechanical im-
pacts. Do not attempt to clean the slits using tissue, cotton buds or compressed air - the slit
might be damaged. In case a visible contaminant is found, please contact us. A list of our
worldwide branches can be found at the end of this manual.
The outer surfaces of the instrument may be cleaned using a wet lint-free cloth.

9.3 Troubleshooting
q Software Installation failed
In order to install the Beam software on your PC, you need administrator privileges. Other-
wise, an installation is impossible. If you have trouble with software installation, please con-
tact your system administrator.
q No Beam Profiler recognized
If after starting of Beam software no instrument was recognized, the Device Settings button
in the Menu bar is crossed out ( ).
· Check if you have connected a BP209 instrument.
· Check the USB cable. Make sure you are using the supplied with instrument cable.
· Check proper driver installation
· Check if the green LED lights up - LED off indicates that the Beam Profiler's firmware was
not loaded.
See section Connection to the PC 17 for details.
You may unplug and reconnect the Beam Profiler to a different USB port or use a different
USB cable. Wait a few seconds, until the green LED lights up. Then click 'Refresh Device
List' within the Device Selection panel. See chapter Start the Application 18 for a detailed
description.
q An older external VT-80 stage is connected, but not recognized
· If the M² translation stage was not initialized after Beam software start,
· Check if the stage is powered up (red LED blinking)
· Check the connection of the stage to the PC
· If the USB-to-Serial converter is used, check for proper driver installation used.
· Press the Refresh button
q Results and graphs are not being updated

· The device is in the pause mode. Resume the device by clicking the Start button in the
Menu bar.
· Max Hold was activated - switch off Max Hold mode by clicking the icon.
· The "Average over frame" rate might be high, check its value in the Beam Settings
panel 41 .
BP209
9.3.1 Warnings and Errors

Warnings and error messages will appear in the status bar as soon as improper measurement
conditions are detected. For this reason, please keep always an eye on the status bar in order
to prevent measurement errors. Below some examples are shown:
q Scan speed not stabilized!

Explanation The detected drum rotation speed differs from the set value. Proper measure-
ments are impossible.
Resolving This warning may appear shortly after the Scan Rate has been changed - the
drum's inertia causes a delay in reaching a new set value. After reaching the
set value, this warning disappears. If it remains, the Beam Profiler seems to be
damaged and need factory repair - please contact Thorlabs for return instruc-
tion.
q Device in Pause Mode
Explanation In the Menu bar, the Pause or Next Frame button was pressed
Resolving Press in Menu bar the Start button.
Attention
As soon as an error or warning is displayed in the status bar, the calculated beam para-
meters are not reliable!

Specific error under Japanese and Chinese operating systems

Under the following conditions
· Windows®7 (32 or 64 bit), Japanese
· Installed Microsoft® Office 10
· Installed Thorlabs BEAM Software 5.0
the Beam Software cannot be started, and an error message
"Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Library: Runtime Error! Program: C... R6030 -CRT not initial-
ized"
occurs. This error is caused by changing the input method editor (IME) after installation of MS
Office 2010.
Resolving
Set the IME back to standard Microsoft IME as shown in the screenshot below:

BP209
10 Application Note
This chapter contains some background information about the measurement methods of beam
profiles.
Beam profiles can be characterized by a number of different parameters. We aim to offer a
software that allows to measure all usual beam parameters based on ISO11146-1 standard.
In the following sections detailed explanations are given to the measured parameters.
10.1 Coordinate Systems

Lab System
The lab system (AKA reference system) of coordinates is based on the true X and Y coordinate
orientation of the drum in accordance with the marking on the front panel.
Transformed System
The transformed system of coordinates is based on the calculated beam axes (minor and major
axes for elliptical fit or for 4s beam diameter).
10.2 Raw Data Measurements

Lab (or Reference or Sensor) Coordinate System
4s Beam Width is the width of a beam in X and Y axes (centroids), derived from the second
moment calculation:
where sx and sy are the standard deviation of the horizontal or vertical marginal distribution, re-
spectively:
and
Note
The 4s Beam Width measurement is not in conformity with ISO11146! Displayed results are
for information only!
In accordance with ISO11146-3, beam diameters shall be defined at a 1/e² clip level for Slit
Beam Profilers, while for Camera Beam Profilers the 4sX' and 4sY' beam widths apply.
Peak Position
X, Y: position of the pixel with highest intensity (AD value) which is found first with respect to
reference position.

10 Application Note
is the dial distance of peak position's pixel from the reference position (= sensor center).
Centroid Position
X, Y and R position (first moment), calculated over all pixels with respect to the above reference
position.
X= SUM [x * p(x,y)] / I Y= SUM [y * p(x,y)] / I
where:
p(x,y) intensity at location (x,y);
I total intensity;
SUM of pixels taken over the entire area
AD Saturation
Saturation level of the instrument's AD converter. For a good SNR (signal-to-noise ratio) the
saturation level should be not below 40% and not be above 95%.
Total Power
Total power measured through the ND filter 21 in the drum (photo diode current with respect to
the typical wavelength-dependent responsivity).
10.3 Ellipse (Fitted)

The beam shape is fit to an ellipse using the set clip level.
Diameter (clip level) is given for the minor axis (min), major axis (max) and their arithmetic
mean value.
Ellipticity and Eccentricity of the beam are defined in ISO 11146-1 as

BP209
with dmin = minor axis and dmax = major axes of the approximated beam ellipse.
Orientation denotes the angle q between the major ellipse axis and the horizontal X axis.
Range: -90° < q
10.4 X-Y-Profile Measurement

Beam Width at Clip Level (xx%)
Beam width is the distance between the two points where the opposite edges of a captured
beam profile are bisected by the X or Y axis and the intensity falls to a certain percentage of the
peak power. This percentage is called clip level.
Preferred clip levels are for instance 50 % (Full Width at Half Maximum) and 13.53% (exactly
1/e²). Since the Beam software supports a variable clip level, the beam width is always dis-
played with its clip level in brackets.
Note
Please note that 'Beam Width' is always the diameter, not the radius of the beam.
10.5 Gaussian Fit Measurement

The beam profiles of coherent light sources, such as lasers and the output of fibers, show a dis-
tribution more or less close to Gaussian. If focusing a Gaussian beam, it converges into a
waist, after which it diverges.
The Gaussian fit uses the method of least squares in order to fit the X and Y cross section pro-
file of a beam to a Gaussian shape. In other words, the Gaussian fit represents an approxima-
tion of captured measurement data to a Gaussian distribution.
Gaussian Intensity is the intensity distribution of the Gaussian fitted beam profile.
Gaussian Diameter is the width of the Gaussian fitted profile at a 1/e² intensity clip level.

10 Application Note
10.6 Bessel Fit

On of the most important properties of a Bessel beam is that it is non-diffractive. This means,
apart from Gaussian beams, their shape does not change during propagation, and they don't
have a focus in terms of a location with highest intensity along the propagation direction. Its dis-
tribution can be described by a Bessel function of the first kind.
Ideal Bessel beams do not exist, but a good approximation - a Bessel-Gauss beam - can be
achieved by focusing a Gaussian beam using an axicon lens, a narrow annular aperture, or a
axisymmetric diffraction grating. The output of some step index fibers can also have a profile
close to a Bessel beam.
The Bessel fit approximates a given beam profile to a Bessel function distribution.

BP209
11 Appendix
11.1 Technical Data Beam Profiler
Model BP209-VIS BP209-IR BP209-IR2
BP209-VIS/M BP209-IR/M BP209-IR2/M
Wavelength Range 200 - 1100 nm 900 - 1700 nm 900 - 2700 nm
Detector Type Si, UV enhanced InGaAs Extended InGaAs
Aperture Diameter 9 mm
Scan Method Scanning Slits, Knife Edge
Slit Size 5 µm and 25 µm
Minimum Beam Diameter 2.5 µm
Maximum Beam Diameter 9 mm 1)
Sampling Resolution 0.12 to 1.24 µm (Depending on Scan Rate)
Scan Rate 2.0 to 20.0 s-1 (Continuously Variable)
Optical Power Range 1 µW to 10 W (Depending on Beam Diameter and Model)
Amplifier Bandwidth 16 to 1000 kHz in 11 steps (@ -1dB)
Sample Frequency 0.2872 to 2.0 MHz
Dynamic Range 78 dB (Amplifier Switchable)
Photodiode Bias Voltage 0 / -1.5 V (Switchable) 0V
Signal Digitization 15 bit
Head Dimensions Ø 79.5 mm x 60 mm (Including Rotation Mount)
Minimum Pulse Rate 10 Hz 2)
Software
X-Y-Profile, Centroid Position, Peak Position, Pseudo 3D Profile,
Displayed Parameters and
Features Beam Width Clip Level / Second Moment (4s), Gaussian Fit Applicable,
Colored Pass/Fail Test
ISO 11146
Compliance with Standards
(Beam Widths, Divergence Angle and Beam Propagation Factor)
General System Requirements Windows® 7 or later, USB 2.0 High Speed Port
M² Analysis System
Compatible M² Options M2MS M² Measurement Systems
Compliance with Standards ISO 11146
M², Waist Width, Waist Position, Rayleigh Length, Divergence,
Measured Parameters 3)
Beam Pointing, Waist Asymmetry, Astigmatism
General
Operating Temperature +5 ... +35 °C
Storage Temperature -40 ... +70 °C
Warm-up time for rated accuracy 15 min
1) BP209-VIS; BP209-IR: Beam diameter error <10% at Ø9 mm

BP209-IR2: Beam diameter error <20% at Ø9 mm for beam divergence <5°
2) 300 kHz using M² Option
3) using M² Option
All technical data are valid at 23 ± 5°C and 45 ± 15% rel. humidity

11 Appendix
11.2 Technical Data M2MS-BP209

M2MS-
M2MS- M2MS- M2MS-
Item # BP209VIS-
BP209VIS-AL BP209VIS BP209VIS/M
AL/M
Beam Profiler BP209-VIS BP209-VIS/M BP209-VIS BP209-VIS/M
Wavelength Range 250 - 600 nm 400 - 1100 nm
Beam Diameter Range 20 µm - 9 mm (at Beam Profiler Input Aperture)

Power Range 1 µW to 10 W, Depending on Beam Diameter
Translation Stage DDSM100/M
Travel Range 100mm
Velocity (Max) 500 mm/s
Effective Translation Range 200 mm, -100 mm to +100 mm from Focal Point
Lens Focal Length 250 mm
Optical Axis Height 70 mm (without additional feet)
M² Measurement Range 1.0 - No Upper Limit
Typical M² Accuracy ±5 %, Depending on Optics and Alignment
Accepted Beam Diameter for 5%
20 µm - 4.5 mm (at Beam Profiler Input Aperture)
Uncertainty
Minimum Detectable Divergence
<0.1 mrad
Angle
Applicable Light Sources
Typical Measurement Time 15 - 30 s, Depending on Beam Shape and Settings
General
Size 300 mm x 175 mm x 130mm
Weight 4.6kg

BP209
M2MS- M2MS- M2MS- M2MS-

Item # BP209IR BP209IR/M BP209IR2 BP209IR2/M
Beam Profiler BP209-IR BP209-IR/M BP209-IR BP209-IR/M
Wavelength Range 900 - 1700 nm 900 - 2700 nm
Beam Diameter Range 20 µm - 9 mm (at Beam Profiler Input Aperture)
Power Range 1 µW to 10 W, Depending on Beam Diameter
Travel Range 100mm
Accepted Beam Diameter for 5%
20 µm - 4.5 mm (at Beam Profiler Input Aperture)
Uncertainty
Minimum Detectable Divergence
<0.1 mrad
Angle
Applicable Light Sources
General
Size 300 mm x 175 mm x 130mm
Weight 4.6kg
11.3 Technical Data M2MS Extension Sets

Item # M2MS M2MS-AL
Wavelength Range 400-2700 nm 1) 250-600nm 1)
Beam Profiler Compatibility BC106 series, BP209 series, BP10x series
Travel Range 100mm
Minimum Detectable Divergence <0.1 mrad

Angle
Applicable Light Sources CW, Pulsed*
Size 300 mm x 175 mm x 109mm (without Beam Profiler)
1) Depending on the Beam Profiler Type

11 Appendix
11.4 Typical Photodiode Response Curves

The following diagrams show typical response curves photodiodes used in BP209 models.
Typical Responsivity - UV-enhanced Si Photodiodes
Typical Responsivity - InGaAs Photodiodes

BP209
Typical Responsivity - Extended InGaAs Photodiodes

11 Appendix
11.5 Power Ranges

The max. usable input power depends on the beam diameter and the wavelength: the smaller
the beam width the lower the maximum input power because of the maximum power density of
the photodiode. The diagram below shows the allowed input power range at the wavelength of
maximum responsivity (BP209-VIS ~ 980 nm; BP209-IR ~ 1550nm; BP209-IR ~ 2200nm):
Note
Please note that these operating power ranges apply to measurements made using the slits in
scanning-slit or knife-edge mode; these limits may be reduced when measuring total power.
Scanning-slit mode transmits a fraction of the beam power to the photodetector, and during
knife-edge mode the un-attenuated, <Ø20 µm, full beam is transmitted to the photodetector. In
addition to the two pairs of slits, the rotating drum contains an aperture fitted with a neutral
density (ND) filter that, once per rotation, allows the full attenuated beam to reach the photode-
tector. The power in the attenuated full beam may fall outside of the operating range of the de-
tector. In this case, an error message will be displayed in the status box. However, beam shape
measurements using the slits can still be made, assuming the power transmitted by the slits
falls within the limits plotted in the diagram.

BP209
11.6 Initial Settings

When the BP209 is used first time with the BEAM software, the following initial settings are ap-
plied:
Parameter Default value

Scan Rate 10.0 1/s
Scan Rate Correction enabled
635 nm (BP209-VIS)
Wavelength
900 nm (BP209-IR, BP209-IR2)
Photodiode Bias off
Aperture Width full width (9 mm)
Active Slit Pair 5 µm
Scanning Method Slit Scanning
Gain And Bandwidth Control
Auto Gain Index ON
Bandwidth Slit X 125 kHz
Bandwidth Slit Y 125 kHz
Auto Baseline Correction 0

11 Appendix
11.7 Drawing BP209
Drawing BP209 Series - Imperial Version

BP209
Drawing BP209 Series - Metric Version

11 Appendix
11.8 Slit and Photodiode Position

It is required at any time, that the entire beam power enters the entrance aperture, is scanned
by the slit and detected by the photodiode. Particularly for diverging beams the operator needs
to know the positions and distances of these elements.
BP209-VIS
BP209-IR and BP209-IR2 use an aspheric collimating lens between the slit and the photodiode:

BP209
11.9 Drawing BP209 Mounting Adapter

11 Appendix
11.10 Drawing M2MS-BP209

BP209
11.11 Compatibility with Older Hardware

The Beam software is downwards compatible with the following discontinued hardware com-
ponents:
· BP104-UV, BP104-VIS, BP104-IR, BP104-IR2 (Slit Beam Profiler with 4 mm aperture)
· BP109-UV, BP109-VIS, BP109-IR, BP109-IR2 (Slit Beam Profiler with 9 mm aperture)
· BC106-UV, BC106-VIS (Camera Beam Profiler)
· BP1M2-50, BP1M2-150, BP1M2-300 (Linear translation stages with adapter for BP10x
Slit Beam Profilers)
· BC1M2-150, BC1M2-300 (Linear translation stages with adapter for BC106 Camera
Beam Profilers)
· M2SET-VIS, M2SET-IR (M² Meter Sets with BP109 Slit Beam Profiler, Linear Translation
Stage and various optical components
Electrical connections, particularly of the used older VT-80 linear translation stages, and mech-
anical setup should be carried out as described in the appropriate documentation to this hard-
ware, while operation is described in the manual on hand.
Older documentation can be downloaded from the Thorlabs Manual Archive at www.thor-
labs.com/manuals.cfm. Open this page and enter the desired item number; be careful about
correct spelling (e.g., "BP104-IR2/M" or "M2SET-VIS").

11 Appendix
11.12 List of Acronyms

The following acronyms and abbreviations are used in this manual:
2D 2 Dimensional
3D 3 Dimensional
ADC Analog to Digital Converter
AL Aluminum
AR Anti Reflection
BC Beam Profiler Camera
CA Calculation Area
cw Continuous Wave (constant power source)
GUI Graphical User Interface
ND Neutral Density
PC Personal Computer
FPS Frames Per Second
ROI Region Of Interest
USB Universal Serial Bus
UV Ultra Violet (wavelength range)
VIS VISible (wavelength range)

BP209
11.13 Thorlabs 'End of Life' Policy (WEEE)

As required by the WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive) of the
European Community and the corresponding national laws, Thorlabs offers all end users in the
EC the possibility to return “end of life” units without incurring disposal charges.
This offer is valid for Thorlabs electrical and electronic equipment

· sold after August 13th 2005
· marked correspondingly with the crossed out “wheelie bin” logo (see figure below)
· sold to a company or institute within the EC
· currently owned by a company or institute within the EC
· still complete, not disassembled and not contaminated
As the WEEE directive applies to self contained operational electrical and electronic products,
this “end of life” take back service does not refer to other Thorlabs products, such as
· pure OEM products, that means assemblies to be built into a unit by the user (e. g. OEM
laser driver cards)
· components
· mechanics and optics
· left over parts of units disassembled by the user (PCB’s, housings etc.).
Waste treatment on your own responsibility

If you do not return an “end of life” unit to Thorlabs, you must hand it to a company specialized
in waste recovery. Do not dispose of the unit in a litter bin or at a public waste disposal site.
WEEE Number (Germany) : DE97581288
Ecological background
It is well known that waste treatment pollutes the environment by releasing toxic products dur-
ing decomposition. The aim of the European RoHS Directive is to reduce the content of toxic
substances in electronic products in the future.
The intent of the WEEE Directive is to enforce the recycling of WEEE. A controlled recycling of
end-of-life products will thereby avoid negative impacts on the environment.
Crossed out
"Wheelie Bin" symbol

11 Appendix
11.14 List of Symbols

The following symbols appear on the BC106N Beam Profiler or within this manual:
Symbol Meaning
Universal Serial Bus (USB), a serial bus standard to interface devices to a
host computer.
The CE mark is a mandatory conformity mark on many products placed
on the single market in the European Economic Area (EEA). By affixing
the CE marking, the manufacturer asserts that the item meets all the es-
sential requirements of the relevant European Directive(s). It does not cer-
tify that a product has met EU consumer safety, health or environmental
requirements.
Crossed out "Wheelie Bin" symbol. Waste Electrical and Electronic Equip-
ment (WEEE) is a loose description of surplus, obsolete, broken or dis-
carded electrical or electronic devices. See Thorlabs 'End of Life' Policy
(WEEE) 164 .

BP209
11.15 Certifications and Compliances

11 Appendix
11.16 Warranty
Thorlabs warrants material and production of the BP209 for a period of 24 months starting with
the date of shipment. During this warranty period Thorlabs will see to defaults by repair or by
exchange if these are entitled to warranty.
For warranty repairs or service the unit must be sent back to Thorlabs. The customer will carry
the shipping costs to Thorlabs, in case of warranty repairs Thorlabs will carry the shipping costs
back to the customer.
If no warranty repair is applicable the customer also has to carry the costs for back shipment.
In case of shipment from outside EU duties, taxes etc. which should arise have to be carried by
the customer.
Thorlabs warrants the hard- and/or software determined by Thorlabs for this unit to operate
fault-free provided that they are handled according to our requirements. However, Thorlabs
does not warrant a fault free and uninterrupted operation of the unit, of the software or firmware
for special applications nor this instruction manual to be error free. Thorlabs is not liable for
consequential damages.
Restriction of Warranty
The warranty mentioned before does not cover errors and defects being the result of improper
treatment, software or interface not supplied by us, modification, misuse or operation outside
the defined ambient stated by us or unauthorized maintenance.
Further claims will not be consented to and will not be acknowledged. Thorlabs does explicitly
not warrant the usability or the economical use for certain cases of application.
Thorlabs reserves the right to change this instruction manual or the technical data of the de-
scribed unit at any time.

BP209
11.17 Exclusion of Reliability and Copyright

Thorlabs has taken every possible care in preparing this document. We however assume no li-
ability for the content, completeness or quality of the information contained therein. The content
of this document is regularly updated and adapted to reflect the current status of the hardware
and/or software. We furthermore do not guarantee that this product will function without errors,
even if the stated specifications are adhered to.
Under no circumstances can we guarantee that a particular objective can be achieved with the
purchase of this product.
Insofar as permitted under statutory regulations, we assume no liability for direct damage, indir-
ect damage or damages suffered by third parties resulting from the purchase of this product. In
no event shall any liability exceed the purchase price of the product.
Please note that the content of this document is neither part of any previous or existing agree-
ment, promise, representation or legal relationship, nor an alteration or amendment thereof. All
obligations of Thorlabs result from the respective contract of sale, which also includes the com-
plete and exclusively applicable warranty regulations. These contractual warranty regulations
are neither extended nor limited by the information contained in this document. Should you re-
quire further information on this product, or encounter specific problems that are not discussed
in sufficient detail in the document, please contact your local Thorlabs dealer or system in-
staller.
All rights reserved. This document may not be reproduced, transmitted or translated to another
language, either as a whole or in parts, without the prior written permission of Thorlabs.
Copyright © Thorlabs 2018. All rights reserved.

11 Appendix
11.18 Thorlabs Worldwide Contacts

For technical support or sales inquiries, please visit us at www.thorlabs.com/contact for our most up-to-
date contact information.
USA, Canada, and South America UK and Ireland

Thorlabs, Inc. Thorlabs Ltd.
[email protected] [email protected]
Europe Scandinavia
Thorlabs GmbH Thorlabs Sweden AB
France Brazil
Thorlabs SAS Thorlabs Vendas de Fotônicos Ltda.
Japan China
Thorlabs Japan, Inc. Thorlabs China

BP209
Index Divergence Results

Divergence Settings
133
131
Driver Installation 11
Duster Spray 142
*
2D Reconstruction 46 E
3D Profile 48 Eccentricity 147
Ellipse fit 147
A Ellipticity 147
Accessories 7 Error Messages 143
Acronyms 163 Errors 144
AD Saturation 146 Export a PDF Test Protocol 73
Application Note 146
ASCII Text File 73 F
Astigmatism 114 Factory device settings 36
B G
BC106 Selection 17 Gaussian beam 134
BC106 Settings 69 Gaussian Diameter 148
Beam Diameter 146 Gaussian Intensity 148
Beam Overlapping 60 General Information 6
Beam quality measurement 84 Guidelines for Operation 69
Beam Waist 114
Beam Width 146 I
Beam Width Clip 148
Image Export 73
C
K
Calculation Results 52
K factor 134
Cannot Connect 143
Knife Edge Mode 81
Centroid Position 146
Certifications and 166
Compilances
L
Child Windows 45 Lab System 146
Cleaning 142 List of Acronyms 163
Connection to the PC 17
Coordinate systems 146 M
M² Display 105
D M² Error Messages 118
Data Export 73 M² Measurement 96, 105, 113
Default Value 69 M² Measurement Results 114
Device Selection 17, 69 M² Settings 107
Device Settings 36 M² Theory 134
Divergence Angle 114 Maintenance and Repair 142
Divergence Assymetry 114 Manual Vergence 56
Divergence Display 129 Measurement
Divergence Measurement 121, 132 MaxHold function 79

11 Appendix
Microsoft Excel File 73 scan axis 21

Mode mixture beam 134 Sensitivity 153
Mounting plate 20 Slit 159
slit scanning beam profiler 21
N Software Installation 11
NI-VISA 11 Start the Application 17
Numeric Results 52 Status Bar 144
Symbols 165
O synchronization 79
Operating the Instrument 69
T
Ordering Codes 7
Orientation 147 Technical Data 150
TEM00 134
P Test Protocol 73
Time-Out 118
Pass/Fail Test 71
Times-diffraction-limit factor 134
Peak Position 146 M2
Performance Optimization 69 146
Total Power
Photodiode 153, 159 146
Transformed System
Plot Beam Stability 67 118, 143
Troubleshooting
Plot Gaussian Fit 65 Tuning View 58
Plot Positions 63
Plot Power 64 U
Plots 62
USB Connection 17
Position 159
17
Power ranges 155 USB Driver Installation
17
Power too high 144 USB Hub
94
Power too low 144 USB to Serial converter
Preparation 10
V
Preview Image 69
Program Start 17 Version and other 142
Pulsed Laser Sources 79 Informations
R W
Raw Data Measurements 146 Waist Assymetry 114
Rayleigh length 114, 134 Waist diameter 134
Region of Interest 69 Warnings 144
Requirements 10 Wavelength 69, 134
ROI 69 Wavelength Response 153
Rotation mount 19
RS232 94
X
X / Y Profile 50
S X and Y axis 19
Safety 6
Save Measurement Results 73
Save Settings 31

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Thorlabs Beam

Beam Analyzing Software

Copyright © 2018 Thorlabs

Please read this advice carefully!

Ordering Code Short Description

M² Measurement System with Slit Beam Profiler

Please visit our homepage http://www.thorlabs.com for further information.

Minimum Hardware and Software Requirements:

Click to Install and follow the instructions:

Click Next >> to continue.

Then Next >> to continue installation and click "Finish".

Click "Yes" to allow Beam Software installation.

Click "Next", then "Finish" to complete the software installation.

2.5.2 Connection to the PC

2.5.3 Start the Application

3.2 Mounting Plate

Metric Version Imperial Version

5 The Graphics User Interface (GUI)

5.1 Menu Bar

5.1.1 File Menu

5.1.2 Control Menu

5.1.3 Options Menu

Display Settings Panel

There are 3 different color scale types available:

Linear Scale Logarithmic Scale Quad Scale

"..." stands for the intermediary values.

Reset Application Settings to Defaults

5.1.4 Windows Menu

5.1.5 View Menu

5.1.6 Help Menu

5.2 Tool Bar

Pause and start the continuous device operation 24

Take a single measurement 24

Clear the content of each window 24

Restore Beam Settings 32 panel (if unpinned or closed)

Open the Device Connection 18 dialog

Open the Display Settings 25 panel

Reset Application Settings to defaults 27

Open child window 2D Reconstruction 46

Open child window 3D Profile 48

Open child window Calculation Results 52

Open child window X Profile 50

Open child window Y Profile 50

Open child window Plot Position 63

Open child window Plot Power 64

Open child window Beam Stability 67

Open child window Beam Quality (M²) 96

Toggle auto scale to peak on/off

Toggle Hold Maximum on/off

Open child window Manual Vergence Measurement 56

Open child window Tuning View 58

Open child window Beam Overlapping 60

5.3 Status Bar

5.4 Save Settings

5.5 Beam Settings

Beam Settings BP209x

5.5.1 Optical Setup

This part of the Beam Settings panel

Parameter Default Value