Project number
25046
Organization
Leonardo Electronics US - Laser Solutions
Offering
ENGR498-F2024-S2025
Fiber-coupled laser diodes are part of many defense and commercial applications. Users must properly test these lasers, but that can be expensive and pose risks to the testers. The team developed an enclosed, automated station for testing fiber-coupled laser diodes. This will significantly reduce manual testing time while prioritizing safety.
Since this setup uses powerful Class 4 lasers, the team enclosed it and included an emergency power-off circuit to ensure safe operation. An automated fiber-alignment system provides precise fiber positioning, while integrated cooling and vibration isolation maintain stable operating conditions. The cooling system features closed loops for the aperture, screen, device under test carrier, and laser diode driver for efficient thermal management. Operators can control the system with a programmable logic controller to collect data on electrical inputs, cooling performance and optical outputs. This includes power measurements with and without cladding light blocked by an aperture. The system also measures the laser’s far-field pattern and spectrum using an off-axis camera and spectrometer.
This test station ensures that laser measurements meet specified criteria and automatically assigns a pass or fail based on predefined thresholds. By automating data collection and analysis, this system streamlines testing, improves accuracy, and guarantees repeatable results for high-power laser diode characterization, all within a safe and controlled environment.
Since this setup uses powerful Class 4 lasers, the team enclosed it and included an emergency power-off circuit to ensure safe operation. An automated fiber-alignment system provides precise fiber positioning, while integrated cooling and vibration isolation maintain stable operating conditions. The cooling system features closed loops for the aperture, screen, device under test carrier, and laser diode driver for efficient thermal management. Operators can control the system with a programmable logic controller to collect data on electrical inputs, cooling performance and optical outputs. This includes power measurements with and without cladding light blocked by an aperture. The system also measures the laser’s far-field pattern and spectrum using an off-axis camera and spectrometer.
This test station ensures that laser measurements meet specified criteria and automatically assigns a pass or fail based on predefined thresholds. By automating data collection and analysis, this system streamlines testing, improves accuracy, and guarantees repeatable results for high-power laser diode characterization, all within a safe and controlled environment.