Pyroelectric energy sensor

North Logan, Utah - Ophir Photonics, a Newport Corp. brand, has announced the PE9-ES-C high sensitivity pyroelectric laser energy sensor.

The PE9-ES-C is part of Ophir's PE-C line of compact, pyroelectric pulsed laser sensors that deliver the lowest measurable energies, longest measurable pulse widths, and highest accuracy. The high sensitivity PE9-ES-C measures the lowest laser energies in the industry -- as low as 50nJ. The sensor also accurately measures at high repetition rates, up to 10 kHz. It features a broad spectral range operating from 150nm to 12µm.

"The PE9-ES-C is the most sensitive laser energy detector on the market," stated Ephraim Greenfield, CTO, Ophir Photonics. "It is able to measure single or repetitive pulses 2-5 times smaller than other sensors. Its patented repetitive pulse technology allows highly accurate measurement of every pulse at repetition rates as high as 25 kHz. Built-in wavelength correction ensures the sensor provides the accuracy and repeatability needed for a diverse range of applications."

The PE9-ES-C laser energy sensor is designed for low energy, short pulse YAG and harmonic generation applications, as well as low energy, long pulse lasers. It features an 8mm active aperture area and supports pulse widths to 20 micros. A user-adjustable threshold prevents false readings in noisy environments.

The new sensor can do virtually everything a standard thermal head can do, such as power measurement with repetitive pulses, single shot energy, and laser power tuning. Users are provided with a wide range of information about the laser being tested, including pulse energy, average power, frequency, minimum and maximum values, missing pulses, and standard deviation. Pulse energies can be displayed numerically or in graphs. Up to 250,000 points of data can be stored on-board in nonvolatile memory and can be sent to a computer for analysis and storage.

The PE9-ES-C energy sensor works with most Ophir smart displays or PC interfaces, including the Nova II, Vega, and Juno. Each display features a "Smart Connector" interface that automatically configures and calibrates the display when plugged into one of the company's measurement sensors.