Q-switched cavity dumped CO2 laser for material processing

A Q-switched, cavity dumped CO2 laser system comprising:

• a plurality of mirrors defining an optical cavity;
• a gain medium positioned within the optical cavity for generating laser beam radiation;
• Q-switch within the optical cavity and including an optical crystal and operative to create a high loss state in the cavity when zero voltage is applied to the crystal and a low loss state when a prescribed non-zero voltage is applied to the crystal;
• a pulsed signal generation system connected to the Q-switch for delivering pulsed signals to the Q-switch thereby controlling the state of optical loss within the optical cavity;
• a time delay circuit for detecting a portion of the laser beam radiation and generating a timing signal in response thereto and
• a laser beam output coupler providing cavity dumping by directing laser energy out of the optical cavity when the optical cavity is in a high optical loss condition whereby in operation, the Q-switch is set to create a high loss state during which time the gain in the gain medium increases and thereafter the Q-switch is set to create a low loss state during which time the optical intensity in the cavity is increased depleting the gain in the gain medium to create a high peak power Q-switched pulse and thereafter the Q-switch is set to a create high loss state so that the Q-switched pulse is coupled out of the cavity and with the length of the Q-switched pulse coupled out of the cavity being controlled by said time delay circuit which supplies timing signals to said pulsed signal generation system.