Controlled dumping of pulses of laser radiation ranging from MIR to the MM by means of optical semiconductor switching

Abstract

A simple method to produce sub-ns pulses of laser radiation with wavelength ranging from middle infrared (MIR) to millimeter (MM) is experimentally demonstrated. The system operates with a single OSS (optical semiconductor switching) driven by a ns Nd laser. Pulse control is produced by varying the distance of a mirror from an OSS used as a cavity dumping. The effectiveness of this sub-ns MM pulse generation is larger than the one observed in other schemes. Pulses with 500-ps FWHM and 15-W power were produced at 2.65 mm with a time compression compared to the 2-ns FWHM of the 1.06-μm driving laser.