Abstract: A light or laser beam analyzer, using an imaging formation device such as a CCD video camera is equipped with an attenuating controllable filter or electronic shutter. The incoming beam is imaged several consecutive images each with a different attenuation and the spatial power level distribution on the detector's surface is digitized and transmitted to a host computer for further processing. The host computer will present the power distribution and calculate the beam's profile and the beam's shape.

Abstract: A light or laser beam analyzer uses a rotating drum with circumferential knife-edges or slits that interrupt the beam. Inside the drum is a light intensity detector, connected to a processor which reconstructs the beam waist parameters based upon the cut profiles. The knife-edges or slits are disposed at three or more different angles to the drum rotation axis. An attenuation filter is removably mounted inside the drum, where it introduces no distortion into the light measurement. The beam is diverted from the beam line and brought to the drum by a retro-reflector which is slidably mounted along a track parallel to the beam line. The folded path allows the use of a long-focal length lens such as a simple plano-convex type. The lens is demountable for making direct measurements, and an opening is provided in the drum for passing the unfocused beam through onto the detector.