Abstract
An optically injected solid state laser (OISSL) system is known to generate complex nonlinear dynamics within the parameter space of varying the injection strength of the master laser and the frequency detuning between the master and slave lasers. Here we show that within these complex nonlinear dynamics, a system which can be operated as a source of laser pulses with a pulse repetition frequency (prf) that can be continuously varied by a single control, is embedded. Generation of pulse repetition frequencies ranging from 200 kHz up to 4 MHz is shown to be achievable for an optically injected Nd:YVO4 solid state laser system from analysis of prior experimental and simulation results. Generalizing this to other optically injected solid state laser systems, the upper bound on the repetition frequency is of order the relaxation oscillation frequency for the lasers. The system is discussed in the context of prf versatile laser systems more generally. Proposals are made for the next generation of OISSLs that will increase understanding of the variable pulse repetition frequency operation, and determine its practical limitations. Such variable prf laser systems; both low powered, and, higher powered systems achieved using one or more optical power amplifier stages; have many potential applications from interrogating resonance behaviors in microscale structures, through sensing and diagnostics, to laser processing.
Highlights
Lasers with pulse repetition frequencies between ~100 kHz to ~10 MHz are of particular interest for applications in laser processing that utilize pulsed-laser driven mechanical resonance effects to achieve a processing advantage [1]
Having established that Q-switched microchip laser systems and gain-switched semiconductor lasers should be evaluated as potential systems for providing prfs of ~100 kHz to ~10 MHz in a continuously variable manner, we introduce the Nd:YVO4 optically injected solid state laser (OISSL) system, and the new analysis of prior experimental and simulation results
The results analysed in this study have been the subject of prior publications and the experimental setup of the Nd:YVO4 optically injected solid state laser (OISSL) system has been described fully in [24,25,26,27]
Summary
Lasers with pulse repetition frequencies between ~100 kHz to ~10 MHz are of particular interest for applications in laser processing that utilize pulsed-laser driven mechanical resonance effects to achieve a processing advantage [1]. We demonstrate that an optically injected solid-state-laser (OISSL) system is a potential new type of prf-versatile, pulsed laser system that does not obviously fit into any of the standard methods for achieving pulsed outputs. Key characteristics of pulsed laser systems include pulse energy, pulse duration, pulse power, pulse repetition frequency (prf), and timing jitter specifications of several kinds. These characteristics, along with the lasing centre wavelength, determine the applications for which specific pulsed laser systems are suited. The methods of achieving a continuous train of pulsed output from laser systems include gain switching, Qswitching, mode-locking, and self pulsation. Mode-locked solid-state-laser and fiber-laser based systems are a source of well controlled pulses with low timing jitter. Typical prfs are from 50 MHz through to a few GHz [4]
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