High power laser energy measuring device

Claim 2

Apparatus for measuring the energy of a laser beam comprising: a. a spherical, heat conductive hollow container means having an aperture for admitting said laser beam into said container; b. mirror means within said container axially aligned with said aperture and disposed on the wall opposite said aperture for receiving said laser beam and reflectively distributing said beam throughout substantially only the interior surface of said container, whereby said container is heated by the absorption of laser energy by said container, said mirror means having an annular concave portion surrounding a convex center portion, said mirror portions being effective to reflectively distribute a laser beam incident thereon substantially uniformly throughout the interior surface of said container and substantially preventing reflection through said aperture; c. sensor means comprising a continuous linear temperature sensitive electrically insulated electrical conductor wrapped uniformly around and in thermal contact with said container for providing an output signal proportional to variations in the temperature of said container means; and d. indicator means for displaying said output signal.

Claim 3

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which said container means includes a collector cone for increasing the effective aperture size.

Claim 4

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the interior surface of said spherical container comprises a highly absorbing opaque material.

Claim 5

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said sensor means includes a constant current source and amplifier for measuring the change in electrical resistance of said wire thereby providing a direct reading of energy of said incident beam.

Claim 6

Apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said sensor means includes a differentiator circuit for measuring the rate of change of the electrical resistance of said wire thereby providing a direct reading of power of said incident beam.

Claim 7

Apparatus for measuring the energy of a laser beam comprising: a. a hollow thin wall spherical container having an aperture for admitting said laser beam into said container; said container being constructed of highly heat conductive material and coated internally with a thin layer of highly absorbing opaque material; b. mirror means axially aligned with and opposite said aperture, said mirror means being disposed adjacent the wall opposite said aperture and having a central convex portion, and intermediate annular concave portion surrounding said convex portion and an outer annular convex portion surrounding said annular concave portion, said portions being contoured and located to receive said laser beam from said aperture and reflect said beam substantially only throughout the interior surface of said container, said reflected beam impinging on and being absorbed by said container whereby said container is caused to be heated; c. sensor means including continuous electrically conducting wire closely wound, evenly spaced, in thermal contact with, and electrically insulated from said container; said wire having a rEsistance characteristic substantially linearly responsive to temperature change of said container; and d. monitoring means including a constant current source and amplifier for measuring the change in resistance of said wire resulting from heating by the absorption of energy of the incident beam of radiation entering through said aperture.

Claim 8

Apparatus for measuring the energy of a laser beam comprising: a. a hollow thin wall spherical container having an aperture for admitting said laser beam into said container; said container being constructed of highly heat conductive material and coated internally with a thin layer of highly absorbing opaque material; b. mirror means axially aligned with and opposite said aperture, said mirror means being disposed adjacent the wall opposite said aperture and having a central convex portion, and intermediate annular concave portion surrounding said convex portion and an outer annular convex portion surrounding said annular concave portion, said portions being contoured and located to receive said laser beam from said aperture and reflect said beam substantially only throughout the interior surface of said container, said reflected beam impinging on and being absorbed by said container whereby said container is caused to be heated; c. sensor means including continuous electrically conducting wire closely wound, evenly spaced, in thermal contact with, and electrically insulated from said container; said wire having a rEsistance characteristic substantially linearly responsive to temperature change of said container; and d. monitoring means including a constant current source and amplifier for measuring the change in resistance of said wire resulting from heating by the absorption of energy of the incident beam of radiation entering through said aperture.