Patent ID: 7463658

Claim:
A laser for generating pulsed laser radiation of a first wavelength, comprising a resonator; a pumped active medium arranged inside the resonator, said medium emitting primary radiation of a second wavelength which differs from the first wavelength; an element arranged in the resonator that generates laser radiation having the first wavelength by frequency conversion of the primary radiation; the resonator being switchable into a first state in which it is open to the primary radiation, and into a second state in which it is closed to the primary radiation, and being open to laser radiation of the first wavelength in both states; and a control unit which, in order to generate a pulse of the laser radiation, includes: means for switching the resonator from the first state to the second state, so that at least one resonator mode for the primary radiation begins to oscillate and the pulse generation by frequency conversion using the clement begins; means for switching the resonator from the second to the first state, whereby primary radiation is coupled out from the resonator, and thus the pulse generation ends; and means for adjusting the pulse duration which allows setting at least one of the duration between the first state and the second state and the coupling-out behavior of the resonator.