Method and apparatus for changing the length of a laser pulse
AssigneeHellma Materials GmbH & Co. KG
InventorsAlfons Burkert, Joachim Bergmann, Wolfgang Triebel, Ute Natura
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The apparatus for extending or lengthening a laser pulse has a beam splitter. An incident laser pulse is split by the beam splitter into at least one first partial pulse and a second partial pulse. The first partial pulse is conducted through a delaying travel path section with a number of reflectors. The apparatus is characterized by a plurality of the variable delaying travel path sections which produce different length laser beam pulses from a single incident laser pulse.
Claims24
An apparatus (10, 20) for changing the length or duration of an incident laser pulse, said apparatus comprising
- at least one beam splitter (1, 11, 21) for dividing the incident laser pulse into a first partial pulse and a second partial pulse, and
- a plurality of reflectors (3) for deflecting the first partial pulse, said reflectors being arranged to guide the first partial pulse along a delaying travel path (2, 12, 22);
- wherein the at least one beam splitter is shiftable into an engaged position (G) or into a disengaged position (N) and wherein said at least one beam splitter (1, 11, 21) is located outside of a laser beam travel path (4) in the disengaged position (N) and is located in the laser beam travel path (4) in the engaged position (G).
An apparatus for changing the lengths or durations of laser pulses, said apparatus comprising a plurality of delaying travel path sections (10, 20), wherein at least one of said delaying travel path sections (10, 20) comprises
- at least one beam splitter (1, 11, 21) for dividing the a laser pulse into a first partial pulse and a second partial pulse, and
- a plurality of reflectors (3) for deflecting the first partial pulse, said reflectors being arranged to guide the first partial pulse along a delaying travel path (2, 12, 22);
- wherein the at least one beam splitter (1, 11, 21) is shiftable into an engaged position (G) or into a disengaged position (N) and wherein said at least one beam splitter (1, 11, 21) is located outside of a laser beam travel path (4) in the disengaged position (N) and is located in the laser beam travel path (4) in the engaged position (G).
A method of extending the lengths or durations of laser pulses by means of delaying travel path sections (10, 20), in which at least one of the delaying travel path sections is switchable between an active state in which said at least one of said delaying travel path sections (10, 20) extends the length or duration of an incident laser pulse and an inactive state in which said at least one of said delaying travel path sections (10, 20) does not extend the length or duration of the incident laser pulse, said method comprising the step of putting a beam splitter (1, 11, 21) in an engaged position (G) or in a disengaged position (N);
- wherein said beam splitter (1, 11, 21) is located outside of a laser beam travel path in the disengaged position and is located in the laser beam travel path in the engaged position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.