Beam dumps absorb incident light and are used to capture unwanted beams. In the laboratory, they are used to stop stray laser beams; in instrumentation, they are used to contain a beam within a portion of the instrument.
The anti-reflective property of a beam dump can be characterized by the apparent reflective factor. Incident light is reflected twice off a black cone whose reflection factor determines the observed reflection of the unit. The PL15 Beam Dump has a reflective factor of less than 10^-4, fifty times more efficient than classical beam dumps.
The active surface should be kept clean of dust, grease, and scratches to preserve the unit’s efficiency. To clean the active surface, disassemble the unit and gently wipe the surface with a soft clean tissue. Precaution should be taken to avoid concentric marks while cleaning.

Beam dumps absorb incident light and are used to capture unwanted beams. In the laboratory, they are used to stop stray laser beams; in instrumentation, they are used to contain a beam within a portion of the instrument.
The anti-reflective property of a beam dump can be characterized by the apparent reflective factor. Incident light is reflected twice off a black cone whose reflection factor determines the observed reflection of the unit. The PL15 Beam Dump has a reflective factor of less than 10^-4, fifty times more efficient than classical beam dumps.
The active surface should be kept clean of dust, grease, and scratches to preserve the unit’s efficiency. To clean the active surface, disassemble the unit and gently wipe the surface with a soft clean tissue. Precaution should be taken to avoid concentric marks while cleaning.