Patent ID: 7508850

Claim:
A method for clipping a laser cavity pulse emitted from a laser and travelling along a beam path to a workpiece, said pulse being clipped prior to reaching the workpiece, comprising: receiving a laser pulse emitted from said laser cavity and having a first polarization state to an electro-optic modulator positioned along said beam path between the laser cavity and the workpiece, the electro-optic modulator containing a crystal positioned between a pair of electrodes arranged to rotate the polarization of the laser pulse to a second polarization state when a charge voltage is placed across the crystal by the pair of electrodes; applying a voltage across the crystal in order to charge the crystal during a period of time wherein at least one of a front end portion and a back end portion of the pulse passes through the crystal, the charging of the crystal causing a rotation in polarization of the laser pulse during the period of time; and passing the laser pulse to a polarizing element positioned along the beam path, the polarizing element capable of one of reflecting along a second path and transmitting along a first path said at least one of a front end portion and a back end portion of the pulse, a remainder of the laser pulse being one of reflected and transmitted along the other of said first and second paths.