Thin films of manganese bismuth for erasably recording laserbeam irradiance distributions

Examples are given of the application of a thin film of manganese bismuth to recording the irradiance distributions in high-power laser beams of the type used in plasma and fusion research. The erasable nature and high resolution of the record and the facility for contrast reversal are emphasized, as is the nonlinear relationship between irradiance of the laser beam and the magneto-optical contrast. Important physical parameters of the recording medium are tabulated.