Spatial filtering of a high energy laser beam is not a trivial problem when the energy density of the focused beam approaches the ablation threshold of the optical aperture material.
Materials with a high ablation threshold have very low thermal conductivity; thus, depending upon the repetition rate of laser pulses, can become subject to melting proceeded by aperture damage.
The Lenox Laser Corporation has developed the MT-1R high energy aperture holder that uses the combination of reflecting and heat dissipating parts to reduce by a few orders of magnitude the energy density that reaches the aperture. This method significantly extends the lifetime of the optical aperture. The MT-1R dimensions were selected in order to fit most of the optomechanical mounts designed for one inch mirrors or lenses provided by leading manufacturers, namely CVI-Melles Griot, Newport, New Focus, Thorlabs, Edmund Optics, etc.
When MT-1R is mounted in one of the above mentioned mounts it becomes an integrative part of the existing optical layout or device and does not require any additional adaptors.
