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Video Transcript

Hi, I'm Stefaan Product Line Manager Laser Optics at Edmund Optics. In this video, we will demonstrate how to properly align a TECHSPEC Monolithic Reflective Beam Expander Mark I.

(8.0s) In order to align the monolithic reflective beam expander, a translation stage and a kinematic mount are required. When combined, they will give you three degrees of freedom. The first step is to center your beam on one of the flat retroreflection alignment fiducials. When centered, use the tip and tilt adjustment screws to retroreflect your beam back into the laser cavity for a moment. These flat areas on the beam expander are manufactured in the same process as convex and concave faces. This allows us to use the flat faces as references for aligning the beam expander, as they are held to very tight tolerances. Once the beam is directed back at the laser and parallelism has been achieved in the beams, simply use the translation stage to slide the optically powered surfaces of the beam expander into the path of the laser beam. The ideal position in X and Y with respect to the sides of the part is dependent on the stock number being used and can easily be found on the downloadable web drawings. The resulting beam should be magnified, in this case, by five times.

(2.5s) To learn more about TECHSPEC Monolithic Beam Expanders, please visit our website at www.edmundoptics.com/monolithic. (2.3s)

How To Align a Monolithic Beam Expander

Monolithic Reflective Beam Expanders are ideal for applications requiring broadband or achromatic laser beam expansion. Their completely reflective design enables them to be used with a variety of laser sources including tunable, ultraviolet, and ultrafast lasers, and a variety of integrated design features simplify mounting and alignment. This video shows how to properly set up and align a TECHSPEC® Monolithic Reflective Beam Expander (Mark I). To learn more, please visit www.edmundoptics.com/monolithic.