Aug 4 2014
Radiant exposure is a term used to describe the characteristics of lasers. Radiant exposure is the measure of energy over a particular area. Radiant exposure is a radiometric quantity calculated as the product of image-plane irradiance and time, and is measured in units of Joule/m2. The radiant exposure is the amount of energy that reaches a surface area due to irradiance, maintained for particular time duration.
Lasers which operate in a pulsed mode cannot be characterized using their irradiance and hence radiant exposure is used to describe pulsed lasers. The higher the value of radiant exposure, the greater the potential hazard the laser is. Radiant exposure is a function of the power density, pulse frequency and the pulse duration of the laser.
Radiant exposure is an important factor to be considered when designing protective equipment for lasers. The maximum value of radiant exposure that the human eye may be exposed to must be taken into account when designing protective gear for lasers.
Sources and Further Reading