Patent ID: 7586958

Claim:
A laser system, comprising: a source for producing input energy in response to an input drive signal; a laser medium for receiving the input energy and convening the input energy to a circulating beam; first and second mirrors disposed on opposing sides of the laser medium, the circulating beam reflecting between the first and second mirrors, the first mirror being an output mirror for releasing a pulsed laser beam and wherein the first mirror is a coating on an end surface of the laser medium; a displacer disposed between the first and second mirrors and in a path of the circulating beam, the displacer splitting the circulating beam into an e-polarized wave and an o-polarized wave the displacer displacing either the e-polarized wave or the o-polarized wave in a direction parallel to the circulating beam; an aperture disposed between the displacer and the laser medium to block the circulating beam from the displacer; a Pockels cell disposed between the displacer and the second mirror, the Pockels cell being energized to change the polarization state of the polarized waves and deenergized to allow transmission of the waves without a polarization change; and a control system coupled to the Pockels cell to switch between a first state allowing the release of the pulsed laser beam and a second state dispersing the circulating beam via the displacer by displacing either the e-polarized wave or the o-polarized wave returned in a direction parallel to the circulating beam, preventing the release of the pulsed laser beam.