Laser Saturation Intensity Calculator

What is Laser Saturation Intensity?

Laser saturation intensity is the intensity at which the absorption of a laser beam in a medium reaches half of its linear value. Beyond this intensity, the medium becomes saturated, and further increases in intensity do not proportionally increase the absorption.

How to Use This Calculator

1. Enter the absorption coefficient (α) of the medium in cm⁻¹.
2. Enter the cross-sectional area (A) of the laser beam in cm².
3. Enter the beam diameter (d) in cm.
4. Click the "Calculate" button to compute the saturation intensity.
5. Click "Reset" to clear all inputs and start over.

Principle Explanation

The saturation intensity is calculated using the formula I_s = (2αA)/(πd²), where:

• I_s is the saturation intensity (W/cm²)
• α is the absorption coefficient (cm⁻¹)
• A is the cross-sectional area (cm²)
• d is the beam diameter (cm)

This formula helps in understanding the point at which a laser medium becomes saturated, which is crucial for various laser applications such as laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy, laser ablation, and laser welding.

Applications

The Laser Saturation Intensity Calculator is useful in various fields including:

• Laser physics and optics
• Laser material processing
• Laser medical applications
• Laser-induced plasma spectroscopy