LAOS Laser

Maybe you should check the lens? I can't image how a mirror alignment could cause this effect.

Thanks Peter,

I tried to realigne the mirrors because the laser was getting less and less efficient at cutting. That's how I realized the beam was strange.
Do you mean the lens at the end of the ray, or is there a lens on the tube ? The first image is actually direct from the tube, since the cardboard is on the 1st mirror. The lens on the moving head is a long way from there.
I got this answer from cnczone, I will try it :

did you clean the front mirror on the lasertube ? take a cotton swab with pure alcohol and carefull swab the inside of the lasertube mirror maby tow three times don't push.
sometimes is just some debrie build up ther.

Hi Arc,
I meant at the end of the ray, but yeah if you get this after the tube, I have no idea. Hopefully someone else on the forum has.

looks like a nice TEM02 mode!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transverse_mode

Not what you want. Laser tube end mirrors might be damaged of some other problem.

Sorry Rectangular TEM11 mode.

Very intersesting !
How can you tell between rectangular TEM11 and circular TEM02 ?
An interesting picture there, with 6 points. They say "Glass tube laser with CO2 depleted"
[[http://www.2laser.com/laser_machinery_owner_faq]]

I replaced the tube (I ordered 1 spare) and it works.
What bothers me is that I got my laser in august and barely used it.

One mistake I made was to try it wit loose connections on the ampere-meter (washers not properly positioned, causing circuit cuts). Could it be the source of the tube fault ?

Thanks