2009 R&D 100 Winner
Precision laser beam alignment involves adjusting the beam to accurately maintain the correct relationships between the beam location within the laser component apertures it passes through, the beam direction, and the target. Typically, to achieve alignment, the beam must intercept two fixed image points in space: the centering point and the pointing point. Until now, two separate sensors were needed, one for centering and the other for pointing. The Laser Beam Centering and Pointing System (LBCAPS) from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, Calif., does the work of both sensors. It uses a single bifocal imaging lens to view both points simultaneously and combine their images onto just one image plane. This image plane, relayed to the control system by a single video camera, contains both the centering and pointing information needed to align the beam. Because LBCAPS combines two alignment sensors into one, it cuts the cost of alignment components in half and saves precious space and computing resources.
Technology
Precision laser beam alignment technology
Developer
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
