Apparatus for indicating the power and position of a laser beam

摘要

An apparatus (12) for providing information about the power and position of a high laser beam includes a heat absorbing body (46) having a target area within which the laser beam is directed. Position information is provided by a plurality of thermocouples (46) connected in series in a circular array and located radially outward of the target area. In the preferred embodiment, the thermocouple array is divided into four quadrants (60-66), each quadrant generating a voltage proportional to the heat flow in the body at that location. A comparison of the voltages generated by each of the quadrants will provide information about the position of the laser beam with respect to the quadrants. In addition, by summing the output of the quadrants, information about the total power of the beam can be derived.