Pulse laser with pulse energy trimmer
US5852621A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 21, 1997 |
| Grant date | Dec 22, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 21, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01S2301/08
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A pulse laser system for providing precise control of laser pulse energy. A fast pulse energy detector having response time in the nanosecond or sub-nanosecond range provides an electrical signal representing pulse energy to a trigger circuit, which integrates the signal and triggers an electro-optic switch when the integrated signal reaches a predetermined level. The operation of the electro-optic switch trims a portion of the pulse energy so that the resulting pulse energy is maintained at a consistent and desired level. In a preferred embodiment, the electro-optic switch includes a Pockels cell and at least one polarizing beam splitter. In this preferred embodiment, an optical delay line provides additional time for the pulse trimming components to operate.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.