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Photon Flux Calculator

Calculate photon energy, flux, and irradiance from wavelength and power or pulse energy.

Photon energy depends on wavelength: E = hc/λ, so a 1 mW source at 532 nm delivers nearly twice as many photons per second as the same power at 266 nm. This converter computes per-photon energy in joules and eV, then divides optical power (CW) or pulse energy times repetition rate (pulsed) by that energy to give photon flux in photons per second. Wavelength entry accepts nanometers, micrometers, or wavenumbers (cm⁻¹). The optional beam diameter input — entered as the 1/e² Gaussian diameter — adds irradiance in W/m² and photon flux density in photons/s/cm², quantities used in rate-equation models, single-photon detection system design, and photodamage threshold comparisons.

Source
Beam Geometry (optional)
Photon Energy
Energy per photon
1.9593eV
Energy per photon
3.1391e-19J
Photon Flux
Photon flux
Φ = P / E_photon
6.3712e+15photons/s
Abridged Optics — Photon Flux Calculator v1.0Beam area assumes circular 1/e² Gaussian profile

All information, equations, and calculations have been compiled and verified to the best of our ability. For mission-critical applications, we recommend independent verification of all values. If you find an error, please let us know.