Difference between revisions of "Spatial filter"

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A pinhole selects for the central TEM<sub>0</sub> mode and blocks all the others.
A pinhole selects for the central TEM<sub>0</sub> mode and blocks all the others.


[[Image:Spatial_Filter_-_process.jpg|thumb|500px|Processing of a beam to remove higher spatial frequencies ]]
[[Image:Spatial_Filter_-_process.jpg|thumb|600px|Processing of a beam to remove higher spatial frequencies ]]


<swf width="500" height="400">images/7/71/Z-scanclean.swf</swf>
<swf width="600" height="400">images/7/71/Z-scanclean.swf</swf>
<br clear='all'>
<br clear='all'>
The result is a clean gaussian distribution of beam power across the cross section. This is desirable for many optical setups such as the [[Femtosecond Z-Scan Spectrometer]]
The result is a clean gaussian distribution of beam power across the cross section. This is desirable for many optical setups such as the [[Femtosecond Z-Scan Spectrometer]]

Revision as of 09:57, 7 June 2011

A laser beam is by definition coherent with respect to longitudinal wavelengths which is determined by the length of the cavity. But coherent light can also exhibit transverse modes. A cross section of laser beam might exhibit a combination of various modes creating an uneven intensity. The spatial filter is a device such as a pinhole used to eliminate transverse modes.

Cylindrical transverse mode patterns TEM(pl)


A pinhole selects for the central TEM0 mode and blocks all the others.

Processing of a beam to remove higher spatial frequencies

<swf width="600" height="400">images/7/71/Z-scanclean.swf</swf>
The result is a clean gaussian distribution of beam power across the cross section. This is desirable for many optical setups such as the Femtosecond Z-Scan Spectrometer

A gaussian power distribution

see wikipedia:Gaussian_beam