title: Portable, high-accuracy, non-absorbing laser power measurement at kilowatt levels by means of radiation pressure.
abstract: We describe a non-traditional optical power meter which measures radiation pressure to accurately determine a laser's optical power output. This approach traces its calibration of the optical watt to the kilogram. Our power meter is designed for high-accuracy and portability with the capability of multi-kilowatt measurements whose upper power limit is constrained only by the mirror quality. We provide detailed uncertainty evaluation and validate experimentally an average expanded relative uncertainty of 0.016 from 1 kW to 10 kW. Radiation pressure as a power measurement tool is unique to the extent that it does not rely on absorption of the light to produce a high-accuracy result. This permits fast measurements, simplifies power scalability, and allows high-accuracy measurements to be made during use of the laser for other applications.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Joshua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hadler
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Maring
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kyle
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rogers
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Simonds
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Spidell
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stephens
authors.forename: Ari
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Feldman
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lehman