Patent ID: 7120174
Filing Date: 2006-10-10
Classification: H01S

Abstract:
1. A laser apparatus for generating optical pulses, comprising: a reflective gain element having first reflective means, an input/output port, a gain medium therebetween and optical pumping means for providing pump radiation into the gain medium for enabling optical gain, for emitting optical radiation from the input/output port along a first optical path; controllable reflecting/transmitting means disposed in the first optical path having a reflecting state for reflecting a controllable portion of the optical radiation back into the gain medium, and a transmitting state for transmitting the optical radiation along the first optical path to form output optical radiation; wherein the controllable reflecting/transmitting means are operable to switch from the transmitting state to the reflecting state to form a temporal optical cavity between the first reflective means and the controllable reflective/transmitting means through the gain medium for a duration of time less than a roundtrip time of the controllable portion of the optical radiation in the temporal optical cavity.