Generating pulse trains in q-switched lasers

Abstract

The invention relates to methods and systems for generating a pulse train having several individual pulses, wherein the individual pulses have a desired pulse characteristic, by means of a Q-switched solid state laser system, which includes, e.g., a modulator for influencing the pulse characteristic of the individual pulses. The methods include (a) generating individual pulses of a pulse train, each pulse having a pulse characteristic, by applying a temporal initial modulation signal; (b) detecting the pulse characteristic of the individual pulses of the generated pulse train; (c) generating a modified modulation signal in correlation to the detected and the desired pulse characteristic of the individual pulses of the pulse train, and applying the modified modulation signal to the modulator to generate a pulse train with a modified pulse characteristic; (d) repeating step (c) until the modified pulse characteristic fulfills a predetermined termination criterion and then using the modified modulation signal as an optimum modulation signal; and (e) generating a pulse train with the desired pulse characteristic of the individual pulses thereof by applying the optimum modulation signal.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.