Patent ID: 6038240
Filing Date: 2000-03-14
Classification: H01S

Abstract:
A method of operating a Q-switched solid-state laser whose laser medium is pumped in a pulsed fashion by a pumping source to generate laser output pulses, said method allowing the repetition frequency of the laser output pulses to be varied while maintaining constant energy laser output pulses and a substantially constant and predetermined thermal load on the laser medium, comprising the steps of:selecting a laser output pulse repetition frequency;setting the frequency and duration of the pumping pulses to maintain a predetermined pulse duty factor to thereby maintain a predetermined thermal load on the laser medium independent of the selected pulse repetition frequency; andactuating the Q-switch at a repetition frequency selected to generate laser output pulses at the selected pulse repetition frequency and wherein the actuation of the Q-switch occurs at a predetermined period (t.sub.1 -t.sub.0) after the start (t.sub.0) of a pumping pulse so that the energy per laser output pulse remains constant.