Patent ID: 6961355

Claim:
A pulsed laser comprising; a) a laser cavity formed between a first and second reflective surface; b) a laser medium located within said cavity producing a primary beam; c) one or more nonlinear crystals located within said cavity in optical communication with said laser medium for producing at least one secondary beam from said primary beam; d) a modulator located within said cavity, said modulator inducing a variable intracavity loss rate of the primary beam through a preselected range of loss rates; one of said loss rates in said range sufficient to prevent lasing of said laser medium; e) a controller for selectively varying the loss rate within said range induced by said modulator to vary the pulse energy of said secondary beam over a range of preselected pulse energies f) said preselected range of pulse energies including a maximum pulse energy and at least one pulse energy intermediate 0 and the maximum pulse energy.