Q-switch of a continuously pumped CO2 laser with a scanning coupled-cavity Michelson mirror

✍ Scribed by Karim Battou; Kamel Aït-Ameur; Omar Ziane

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2008
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 411 KB
• Volume: 281
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0030-4018
• DOI: 10.1016/j.optcom.2008.07.023

✦ Synopsis

We report on the possibility of Q-switching a continuously pumped CO 2 laser using a scanning Michelson interferometer as an end mirror, instead of the habitual well-known strategies. This method, in addition to its simplicity, produces free tail relaxation pulses having duration of about 1.3 ls, which is comparable to what can be obtained when using a saturable absorber. A pulse repetition frequency as high as 90 kHz is obtained.