Students built two laser beam profilers to measure several laser beam parameters in a university thirdyear instrumental chemistry laboratory using commercially available optical components used in modern optics research laboratories. While learning about practical properties of laser beams, students utilize laboratory grade optics and optomechanics for precise measurements of the laser beam quality factor, ellipticity, and diameter. Students build and troubleshoot beam profilers using two methods: the classic knife-edge technique as well as by employing a CMOS-based camera. Students recognize the sources of error associated with their constructed profiler, including background intensity, integration time, and lens alignment accuracy when measuring the beam parameters.

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