The practice of far field divergence measurement for the purpose of NOHD assessment

Abstract

For military lasers, and in fact for every laser that is used outdoors, the Nominal Ocular Hazard Distance (NOHD) is an important parameter in hazard control. The NOHD depends on beam parameters such as beam waist location and diameter, beam divergence and beam profile. This paper describes practical experiences obtained with several techniques for beam profiling and divergence measurement.For military lasers, and in fact for every laser that is used outdoors, the Nominal Ocular Hazard Distance (NOHD) is an important parameter in hazard control. The NOHD depends on beam parameters such as beam waist location and diameter, beam divergence and beam profile. This paper describes practical experiences obtained with several techniques for beam profiling and divergence measurement.