SHORT SINGLE-MODE CO2-LASER PULSE GENERATION BY PULSED Q-SWITCHING

A simple method for the generation of short, single-mode CO2 laser pul ses produced by applying two voltage gates (of amplitude 3U(lambda/4) and U(lambda/4)) to an electro-optic Q-switch placed in a three-mirror cavity is proposed. Single, single-mode, well-synchronizable pulses o f 3 ns duration and of 3 mJ energy have been experimentally achieved f rom a TEA CO2 laser with an intracavity Pockels cell with 3 ns switchi ng time. Using a numerical simulation it is shown that with shorter sw itching time (almost-equal-to 1 ns) the method enables one to obtain, from such a laser, a single, megawatt pulse of 1 ns duration.