The thermal stress field in an elastic half-space due to a single puls
e from a laser is derived for the general case of a mixed-mode structu
re beam. The mode structure models the output from a cylindrical laser
resonator and thus defines a radially symmetric intensity distributio
n about the beam axis. The functional form of the temporal pulse profi
le is quite general in that it models the temporal pulse shapes emitte
d by a laser that is either internally pulsed through radio frequency
modulation of its power supply, Q-switched, or mode locked. It also mo
dels a continuous beam that is mechanically chopped through external m
eans.