Thorlabs offers a wide selection of power and energy meter consoles and interfaces for operating our power and energy sensors. Key specifications of all of our power meter consoles and interfaces are presented below to help you decide which device is best for your application. We also offer self-contained wireless power meters and compact USB power meters.

There are two options for comparing the specifications of our Power and Energy Sensors. The expandable table below sorts our sensors by type (e.g., photodiode, thermal, or pyroelectric) and provides key specifications.

Figure 1: Parameters used to describe pulsed laser emission are indicated in the plot (above) and described in the table (below). Pulse energy (E) is the shaded area under the pulse curve. Pulse energy is, equivalently, the area of the diagonally hashed region.

CompatibilityAll of Thorlabs' pyroelectric energy sensors are compatible with the PM5020 benchtop console and PM103x power and energy meter interfaces, and all the sensors except for Item # ES408C are compatible with the PM400 and PM100D power and energy meter consoles and PM100USB interface. Please see the Console Selection tab for a summary of our console and interface options.

CalibrationEach sensor head is individually calibrated and is shipped with a NIST- and PTB-Traceable Calibration Certificate. The calibration and identification data is stored in the BNC to C-Series adapter, shown in the image above, and is downloaded automatically when connected to a compatible Thorlabs' console or interface.

Pulsed laser radiation parameters are illustrated in Figure 1 and described in the table. For quick reference, a list of equations is provided below. The document available for download provides this information, as well as an introduction to pulsed laser emission, an overview of relationships among the different parameters, and guidance for applying the calculations.

Recalibration ServicesThorlabs offers recalibration services for our pyroelectric energy sensors. To ensure accurate measurements, we recommend recalibrating the sensors annually. Pyroelectric energy sensors returned for recalibration or servicing must include the separate BNC to DB9 adapter, which contains the sensor EEPROM. To order this service for your sensor, scroll to the bottom of the page and select Item # CAL-THPY. Recalibration of a single-channel power and/or energy meter console or interface is included with the recalibration of a sensor at no additional cost.

The ES2xxC High-Energy Pyroelectric Sensors are designed to measure pulsed coherent and incoherent sources. Pyroelectric sensors are not suited for CW measurements, as they convert energy from light pulses into voltage pulses. A ceramic coating is used for high energy measurements as high as 3 J for the ES220C sensor or 15 J for the ES245C sensor. Large Ø20 mm or Ø45 mm sensor areas aid with easy alignment. The sensors can be connected directly to an oscilloscope with a 1 MΩ input resistance via the BNC connector. To accommodate higher repetition rates when connected to an oscilloscope, the load resistance can be reduced. Each energy sensor also includes a BNC to C-Series adapter that contains NIST- and PTB-traceable calibration data.

The consoles and interfaces are also capable of providing a readout of the current or voltage delivered by the sensor. Select models also feature an analog output.

Determining whether emission from a pulsed laser is compatible with a device or application can require referencing parameters that are not supplied by the laser's manufacturer. When this is the case, the necessary parameters can typically be calculated from the available information. Calculating peak pulse power, average power, pulse energy, and related parameters can be necessary to achieve desired outcomes including:

Thorlabs offers recalibration services for our Thermal Power and Pyroelectric Energy Sensors. To ensure accurate measurements, we recommend recalibrating the sensors annually. Recalibration of a single-channel power and/or energy meter console or interface is included with the recalibration of a sensor at no additional cost. If you wish to calibrate one or more sensors with a dual-channel console, each sensor and console calibration service will need to be purchased individually.

This tab outlines the full selection of Thorlabs' power and energy sensors. Refer to the lower right table for power meter console and interface compatibility information.

Alternatively, the sensors can be connected directly to an oscilloscope with a 1 MΩ input resistance via the BNC connector. For the ES1xxC standard and ES2xxC high-energy sensors, the load resistance can be reduced when connected to an oscilloscope to accommodate higher repetition rates. The ES3xxC and ES4xxC fast energy sensors, which can detectect repetition rates ≥250 Hz, are optimized for use with 1 MΩ loads, and using these sensors with other load resistances may lead to reduced speed.

The bottom of the sensor head has a mounting hole with either 8-32 threads (ES1xxC and ES2xxC sensors) or 8-32 and M4 combi-threads (ES3xxC and ES4xxC sensors). Since the heads of the ES1xxC and ES2xxC sensors are very sensitive to ground loops and electrical noise, we recommend attaching the sensor head to one of the included electrically isolating post adapters; one imperial and one metric adapter are included with each sensor head to provide direct compatibility with imperial or metric Ø1/2" (Ø12.7 mm) Posts. The design of the ES3xxC and ES4xxC sensors means that adapters for electrical isolation are not necessary. The ES120C and the ES220C can also be mounted to our 30 mm Cage System via the four 4-40 threaded holes on the front, although this mounting option does not provide electrical isolation. The ES3xxC and ES4xxC sensors have externally SM1-threaded (1.035"-40) input apertures for use with our SM1-threaded lens tubes.

The ES1xxC Standard Pyroelectric Sensors are designed to measure pulsed coherent and incoherent sources. Pyroelectric sensors are not suited for CW measurements, as they convert energy from light pulses into voltage pulses. The black broadband coating on these sensors is ideal for low power, wavelength-independent energy measurements due to its flat absorption profile (see the table below). Large sensor areas of Ø11 mm, Ø20 mm, or Ø45 mm aid with easy alignment. The sensors can be connected directly to an oscilloscope with a 1 MΩ input resistance via the BNC connector. To accommodate higher repetition rates when connected to an oscilloscope, the load resistance can be reduced. Each energy sensor includes a BNC to C-Series adapter that contains NIST- and PTB-traceable calibration data.

In addition to the power and energy sensors listed below, Thorlabs also offers all-in-one, wireless, handheld power meters and compact USB power meter interfaces that contain either a photodiode or a thermal sensor, as well as power meter bundles that include a console, sensor head, and post mounting accessories.

These recalibration services are for the power and/or energy meter electronics of our consoles and interfaces. To ensure accurate measurements, we recommend recalibrating annually. Recalibration of a single-channel console or interface is included with these sensor recalibration services at no additional cost. If you wish to calibrate one or more sensors with a dual-channel console, each sensor and console calibration service will need to be purchased individually. For more details on these recalibration services, please click the Documents () icons below.

Please Note: To ensure your item being returned for calibration is routed appropriately once it arrives at our facility, please do not ship it prior to being provided an RMA Number and return instructions by a member of our team.

It is not safe to use the detector to measure this pulsed laser emission, since the peak power of the pulses is >5 orders of magnitude higher than the detector's maximum peak optical input power.

The table to the upper right lists the power and/or energy meter consoles and interfaces that can be calibrated using the CAL-PM1 and CAL-PM2 recalibration services.

These Fast Pyroelectric Sensors are designed to measure pulsed coherent and incoherent sources with high repetition rates up to 10 kHz. Pyroelectric sensors are not suited for CW measurements, as they convert energy from light pulses into voltage pulses. The ES3xxC sensors have a black broadband that provides a flat response from 185 nm to 25 µm, and, depending on the sensor size, can support measurements of repetition rates up to 1 kHz. The metal-coated E4xxC sensors can detect repetition rates up to 10 kHz, depending on the sensor size, over a more limited wavelength range of 185 nm to 2.5 µm. Ø8 mm or Ø12 mm sensor areas are available, and each input aperture has external SM1 (1.035"-40) threads for compatibility with our SM1-threaded lens tubes. These energy sensors have BNC connectors for connection to an oscilloscope with a 1 MΩ load input resistance; using these sensors with a different load resistance may lead to reduced speed. A BNC to C-Series adapter containing NIST- and PTB-traceable calibration data is also included with each sensor.

Is it safe to use a detector with a specified maximum peak optical input power of 75 mW to measure the following pulsed laser emission?

The ES1xxC standard sensors can be used for wavelength-independent energy measurements of sources with energies from 10 µJ to 2 J and repetition rates up to 40 Hz. The ES2xxC sensors are designed to handle high power densities up to 65 MW/cm2 (for a 7 ns pulse width). For sources with repetition rates up to 1 kHz, the ES3xxC fast energy sensors can detect sources with energies bewteen 100 µJ to 1 J over a broad wavelength from 185 nm to 25 µm. For higher repetition rates up to 10 kHz, the ES4xxC sensors can detect sources with energies 50 µJ to 1 J at wavelengths up to 2.5 µm.

Please Note: To ensure your item being returned for calibration is routed appropriately once it arrives at our facility, please do not ship it prior to being provided an RMA Number and return instructions by a member of our team. Pyroelectric energy sensors returned for recalibration or servicing must include the separate BNC to DB9 adapter, which contains the sensor EEPROM.

Alternatively, the selection guide graphic further below arranges our entire selection of photodiode and thermal power sensors by wavelength (left) or optical power range (right). Each box contains the item # and specified range of the sensor. These graphs allow for easy identification of the sensor heads available for a specific wavelength or power range.

When used with our C-series sensors, Thorlabs' power meter consoles and interfaces recognize the type of connected sensor and measure the current or voltage as appropriate. Our C-series sensors have responsivity calibration data stored in their connectors. The console will read out the responsivity value for the user-entered wavelength and calculate a power or energy reading.

Thorlabs' Pyroelectric Energy Meter Sensors can be used to detect pulsed sources with energies from 10 µJ to 15 J. All of these sensors provide a flat response over the 185 nm to 25 µm wavelength range except for the ES4xxC sensors, which have a range from 185 nm to 2.5 µm (see the Absorption Graphs tab for details). Note that pyroelectric sensors are not suited for CW measurements, as they convert energy from light pulses into voltage pulses.

Please note that the CAL-THPY recalibration service cannot be used for our Thermal Position & Power Sensors; recalibration for these sensors can be requested by contacting Tech Support. The table to the upper right lists the sensors for which the CAL-THPY recalibration service is available.