Patent ID: 7289549
Filing Date: 2007-10-30
Classification: B23K,H01S

Abstract:
1. A solid-state laser comprising: a common resonator subsection having a common resonator subsection length along a common optical path; a solid-state laser medium positioned along the common optical path to receive laser pumping light from a laser pumping source, the laser medium adapted to facilitate generation of laser pulses; a Q-switch positioned along the common optical path for causing operation of the first and second subresonators for at least a partly overlapping time and for initiating each lasing pulse propagation event that results in generation of a respective laser pulse; a beam splitter positioned to intersect the common optical path; a first subresonator section including a first end mirror positioned along a first subresonator path that intersects the common optical path in proximity to the beam splitter, the first subresonator section having a first subresonator section length, the first subresonator section and the common resonator subsection forming a first subresonator having a first subresonator length that includes the first subresonator section length and the common resonator subsection length, and the first subresonator length imparting to each laser pulse a rise time characteristic from a respective lasing pulse initiation event; a second subresonator section including a second end mirror positioned along a second subresonator path that intersects the common optical path in proximity to the beam splitter, the second subresonator section having a second subresonator section length, the second subresonator section and the common resonator subsection forming a second subresonator having a second subresonator length that includes the second subresonator section length and the common resonator subsection length, the second subresonator length imparting to each laser pulse a pulse width characteristic from a respective lasing pulse initiation event, and the second subresonator length being longer than the first subresonator length; and an output port positioned along the common optical path for propagating laser pulses having, from respective pulse initiation events, rise time characteristics derived from the first subresonator and pulse width characteristics derived from the second subresonator.