Electro-optical modulator for randomly polarized light

A laser system having the Q of its optical cavity electronically modulated, said laser comprising:

• a laser rod, positioned longitudinally along an optical axis, for generating a beam of randomly polarized coherent light along said optical axis, said laser rod including first and second opposite ends with respect to said optical axis;
• a pumping means for stimulating the laser rod to a predetermined energy level;
• a total reflection mirror disposed along the optical axis a first predetermined distance from the first end of said laser rod;
• an electro-optical Q modulator disposed along the optical axis a second predetermined distance from the second end of said laser rod, said electro-optical Q modulator including:
• an electro-optical cell operative in an energized state to modulate the polarization of a light beam passing along a predetermined axis thereof;
• means for energizing electronically said electro-optical cell to a predetermined energization state commensurate with a desired polarization modulation level;
• a plurality of optical elements configured for polarizing said randomly polarized light beam generated by said laser rod into first and second light beam components having first and second planes of polarization, respectively, and for guiding said first and second light beam components through said electro-optical cell colinearly along said predetermined axis thereof,
• said plurality of optical elements further configured for recombining first predetermined amounts of said first and second light beam components which have passed through said electro-optical cell to reform a first predetermined amount of the randomly polarized light beam which is reflected back to said laser rod along the optical axis, and for recombining second predetermined amounts of said first and second light beam components which have passed through said electro-optical cell to reform a second predetermined amount of the randomly polarized light beam which is transmitted along another axis away from said laser rod, said reflected-first and transmitted-second amounts of said randomly polarized light beam being formed as a function of the polarization modulation level of said electro-optical cell, whereby the Q of the laser optical cavity, which is dependent on the amount of randomly polarized light reflected along the optical axis back to the laser rod, is modulated by the electronically energized state of the electro-optical cell.