Laser Security

By Emile SCHWEICHER,
OMRA,RMA, Brussels
emile.schweicher@gmail.com
 Laser Security
We are not concerned with the dangers for the skin !
We’ll only investigate the dangers for the eye which arise
from picture aside : a 1mW laser at 6m is 10 times more
dangerous than the Sun !
This danger is described in
•Belgian Army Reglement G901 (recently updated)
•STANAG 3606 LAS (STANAG means Standardization
NATO Agreement) .
There exists also Agreement FINABEL
H-FIN/SEC/23.502-H issued 05 Aug 1983 .

The danger for the eye is a function of

•The emitted power (obvious!)
•The wavelength ; this is less obvious but will be
demonstrated by next slide describing this
danger in various wavebands
The danger is given by the class : the higher the class number the more
dangerous the laser.The class shall be indicated by a sticker on the laser.
Class 3 and 4 lasers may only be turned ON by means of a removable key.
Class 2 exists only for visible lasers. Class 1: single not dangerous class!
Typical laser safety Very recent (Oct 07) new classification
glasses; compulsory in in Europe & in US ANSI Z136 standard
each lab & workshop
 An Overview of the LED and Laser Classification System in EN 60825-1 and
IEC 60825-1
In 2001 the standard governing the safety of laser products in Europe (EN) and Internationally (IEC),
was substantially revised and the Classification system was overhauled. This resulted in the
introduction of three new laser classes (1M, 2M and 3R) and the abolition of Class 3A. Below is a brief
description of each of the current laser classes.
The 60825-1 standards apply equally to lasers and LEDs. In most places we have used the word
"laser", but it can be replaced by "LED". Generally speaking LEDs would be in the lower Classes (1,
1M, 2, 2M, 3R), but very exceptionally may be Class 3B. At the time of writing we are not aware of any
Class 4 LEDs*. In 1M & 2M , M comes from Magnification.
The phrase "eye-safe" is used below. Please note that "eye-safe" is applicable to the whole optical
spectrum from 180nm to 1mm wavelength, not just in the retinal hazard range of 400nm to 1400nm.
Outside the retinal hazard range there is potentially a hazard to the cornea. A wavelength outside the
retinal hazard range is therefore not automatically eye-safe!
Class 1
This class is eye-safe under all operating conditions.
Class 1M
This class is safe for viewing directly with the naked eye, but may be hazardous to view with the aid of
optical instruments. In general, the use of magnifying glasses increases the hazard from a widely-
diverging beam (e.g., LEDs and bare laser diodes), and binoculars or telescopes increase the hazard
from a wide, collimated beam (such as those used in open-beam telecommunications systems).
Radiation in classes 1 and 1M can be visible, invisible or both.
Class 2
These are visible lasers. This class is safe for accidental viewing under all operating conditions.
However, it may not be safe for a person who deliberately stares into the laser beam for longer than
0.25 s, by overcoming their natural aversion response to the very bright light.
Class 2M
These are visible lasers. This class is safe for accidental viewing with the naked eye, as long as the
natural aversion response is not overcome as with Class 2, but may be hazardous (even for accidental
viewing) when viewed with the aid of optical instruments, as with class 1M.
Radiation in classes 2 and 2M is visible, but can also contain an invisible element, subject to certain
conditions.
Classes 1M and 2M broadly replace the old class 3A under IEC and EN classification. Prior to the 2001
amendment there were also lasers which were Class 3B but were eye-safe when viewed without
optical instruments. These lasers are Class 1M or 2M under the current Classification system.
Class 3R (R from low Risk)
Radiation in this class is considered low risk, but potentially hazardous. The class limit for 3R is 5x the
applicable class limit for Class 1 (for invisible radiation) or class 2 (for visible radiation). Hence CW
visible lasers emitting between 1 and 5 mW are normally Class 3R.
Visible class 3R is similar to class IIIA in the US regulations
Class 3B
Radiation in this class is very likely to be dangerous. For a continuous wave laser the maximum output
into the eye must not exceed 500mW. The radiation can be a hazard to the eye or skin. However,
viewing of the diffuse reflection is safe.
Class 4
This is the highest class of laser radiation. Radiation in this class is very dangerous, and viewing of
the diffuse reflection may be dangerous. Class 4 laser beams are capable of setting fire to materials
onto which they are projected.

Any laser product of a given Class may contain 'embedded' lasers which are greater than the Class
assigned to the product, but in these cases engineering controls (protective housings and interlocks)
ensure that human access to radiation in excess of product Class is not possible. Notable examples of
this are CD and DVD players which are Class 1 laser products while containing Class 3R or Class 3B
lasers and laser printers which are Class 1 laser products but contain Class 4 embedded lasers.
Note:- for a product to be classified correctly, it must be tested at the maximum output
accessible under reasonably foreseeable single-fault conditions (e.g., in the drive
circuitry). A non-M class product must pass both Condition 1 and Condition 2 of Table
10 in IEC/EN 60825-1, and an M-class product (which by definition has failed either
Condition 1 or 2) must pass the irradiance condition in the same table.

•Generally speaking lasers are point sources while LEDs are extended sources.
Extended sources have higher power limits than point sources for a given laser
Class. Therefore a visible LED emitting 10 mW may be Class 2, while a visible laser
pointer of the same power would be Class 3B. NB Laser pointers above Class 2 are
banned for sale to the public by trading standards.

CW : Continuous Wave - i.e. not pulsed

Diffuse reflection : the reflection of radiation from a matt surface such as a wall
Extended source : having an apparent source size with angular subtense of
greater than 1.5 mradian
Optical instruments : binoculars, telescopes, microscopes, magnifying glasses (but
not prescription glasses)
Point source: having an apparent source size with angular subtense of less than
1.5 mradian
More about various laser safety standards
Typical laser protection glasses
The laser Laser classification scheme
subdivision
in 4 classes
is evidently
a function
of power
and
wavelength

Analysis of STANAG
3606
1. EMP = MPE = maximum
blootstelling = maximum
bestralingsdosis = Maximum
Permissible Exposure =
Exposition Maximum Permise ;
is a power density (W/m²) for
CW (Continuous Wave) lasers
& is an energy density (J/m²)
for pulsed lasers. We consider
the case of pulsed lasers ; for CW
lasers it suffices to replace energy by power.
 2. DOCN = NOHD = NKO = Nominale Kritische Oogafstand = Distance Oculaire Critique
Nominale = Nominal Ocular Hazard Distance . This is the laser safety distance!
A laser safety officer shall only be interested by the NOHD. Unfortunately , the
NOHD is not given by the STANAG 3606 nor by G901 ! STANAG & G901 only give
the MPE (or EMP). So we must be able to compute the NOHD out of the MPE !

a and b are the extreme rays of the laser beam ; like a

all other laser rays they intersect in the center of the
waist (waist=cercle de gorge= keelcirkel)

Clearly , the NOHD is

the radius of the sphere where
the energy density=EMP
Consequently the center of the waist behaves NKO
as the origin of a spherical wave involving
an energy density proportional to 1/R² . b
Fig.V.65b

Following formula gives the

NKO=DOCN=NOHD

P is the energy in one laser pulse and d

is the beam diameter at laser output; Φ
= 2θ is the laser divergence.
A large value of the NOHD means
a dangerous laser . Formula shows
that a large NOHD corresponds to
a small EMP. Consequently a
dangerous laser is characterized
by a small value of the EMP ! EMP
varies as PRF-1/2 , where PRF is
the Pulse Repetition Frequency.
Computation of the NOHD
Fig.V.66
Using a sight (binoculars) multiplies
the NOHD by the magnification M
 Fig.V.67

Table V.4 Excerpt of STANAG 3606

True eye safe is in the deep pit 1.4µ-1.57µ !

In table V.4, the ratio between 1st and 4th row of the
EMP is 2000 ! The ratio between 4th & 5th row is 100
; thus the ratio between 1st and 5th is 200,000=2.105!
Raman laser is obtained by a Raman effect (NLO)
shifting Nd:YAG 1.064µ wavelength through a
cell filled with CH4 providing so a coherent
output radiation at 1.54µ; same λ directly from
NLO=Non Linear Optics
Er:glass or Er:YAG lasers. Better: OPO!
LANTIRN TGP (Targeting Pod)
OPO enables to obtain any eye safe wavelength out of the Nd:YAG 1.064µ wavelength
c. OPO-based laser designator of the Belgian F-16 LANTIRN TGP
(Targeting Pod) OPO=Optical Parametric Oscillator; OPO is essentially a NLO (Non
Linear Optics) crystal; crystal rotation ensures tunability of output wavelength

1 µm
Pump Laser 2-3 µm
+ - + - + - + - 3-5 µm

Diode pumped
OPO
Nd:YAG (1,06 µm)

+ - + - + - + -
pump laser diodes

Fig.42BIS. Working principle of the laser designator of the Belgian LANTIRN Targeting Pod,
radiating "eye safely" 1.54µ in peace time, and 1.064µ in war time. The pumping laser
diodes radiate at 808 nm, i.e., in the middle of the YAG absorbing band
• Flash lamp pumped Nd:YAG laser features  = 0.7%, PRF  20 Hz
• (laser) diode pumped Nd:YAG laser features  = 10%, PRF  5 kHz, because the laser diode, being much
more monochromatic, extends less out of the YAG absorbing band centered at 808 nm
• The LANTIRN (low Altitude Navigation & Targeting by IR at Night) TGP comprises also a LWIR
Targeting FLIR (with small FOV) and a TV camera.
F-16 with
• the LANTIRN TGP under its air intake
• the typical seeker of a laser guided bomb
• one pylon tank (not stealthy at all) and one tip carriage
• blending (fuselage merges into the wings) and Au-coated canopy:
two stealthy features.
 How the NOHD can be reduced to 0 : use a beam expander !

m²)
)

D is the beam diameter at the laser output , D’ is the beam diameter at the
distance=NOHD. Use a beam expander with magnification M=D’/D; is the half
divergence without beam expander ; is the half divergence with beam expander
 The two kinds of beam expanders; les 2 afocaux; de 2 bundelverbreders

Galilean
LASER Beam
Expander
(for HEL)

Eyepiece

LASER Keplerian beam expander

Magnification M = fobj/ IfocI . The laser beam

diameter is multiplied by M while the laser
divergence is divided by M .

Keplerian beam
expander with
Eyepiece pinhole PH as low-
pass spatial filter