A Q switch resonator includes: an optical resonator comprising at least two mirrors, and configured to accumulate power of a continuous wave or an intermittent continuous wave incident from an outside; and a switching element provided in the optical resonator. The switching element is configured such that, when the power accumulated in the optical resonator increases to a predetermined level, the switching element outputs an optical pulse by lowering a Q factor from a first level to a second level lower than the first level.

A laser apparatus includes laser, a beam splitter, a phased array acousto-optic deflector (AOD) with one or more transducers, a damper, a galvano deflection unit, and a condensing lens to generate one or more laser beams directed at the electronic circuit. The Galvano deflection unit works with acousto-optic deflector includes an optical element having a surface with one or more steps formed thereon; a conductive layer formed on the surface with the steps; one or more crystals secured to each step; and electrodes positioned on each surface of each crystal.

A laser apparatus includes laser, a beam splitter, a phased array acousto-optic deflector (AOD) with one or more transducers, a damper, a galvano deflection unit, and a condensing lens to generate one or more laser beams directed at the electronic circuit. The Galvano deflection unit works with acousto-optic deflector includes an optical element having a surface with one or more steps formed thereon; a conductive layer formed on the surface with the steps; one or more crystals secured to each step; and electrodes positioned on each surface of each crystal.

A laser resonator includes a gain medium that produces light from pump energy and a variable light attenuator, which receives light and emits either (i) a first light including a continuous series of micropulses, or (ii) a second light including a series of macropulses at spaced time intervals, where each macropulse includes a series of micropulses. Each micropulse has a duration of 0.1 to 10 microseconds, and a duration of each macropulse is less than the time interval between each macropulse, and the micropulses have a frequency of 5 kHz to 40 kHz.

A laser resonator includes a gain medium that produces light from pump energy and a variable light attenuator, which receives light and emits either (i) a first light including a continuous series of micropulses, or (ii) a second light including a series of macropulses at spaced time intervals, where each macropulse includes a series of micropulses. Each micropulse has a duration of 0.1 to 10 microseconds, and a duration of each macropulse is less than the time interval between each macropulse, and the micropulses have a frequency of 5 kHz to 40 kHz.

A laser light-source apparatus includes a control unit configured to perform control in such a manner that a seed light source is driven in a pulse oscillation mode of oscillating pulse light based on gain switching in an output permitted state where output of pulse light from the apparatus is permitted, and is driven in a continuous oscillation mode of oscillating continuous light in an output stopped state in which the output of the pulse light from the apparatus is stopped, with power of excitation light for a solid state amplifier maintained, and adjusts power of laser light input to the solid state amplifier from the seed light source in the continuous oscillation mode in such a manner that the solid state amplifier outputs light with substantially same average power in the output stopped state and in the output permitted state.

A laser light-source apparatus includes a control unit configured to perform control in such a manner that a seed light source is driven in a pulse oscillation mode of oscillating pulse light based on gain switching in an output permitted state where output of pulse light from the apparatus is permitted, and is driven in a continuous oscillation mode of oscillating continuous light in an output stopped state in which the output of the pulse light from the apparatus is stopped, with power of excitation light for a solid state amplifier maintained, and adjusts power of laser light input to the solid state amplifier from the seed light source in the continuous oscillation mode in such a manner that the solid state amplifier outputs light with substantially same average power in the output stopped state and in the output permitted state.

The present disclosure relates a laser arrangement (1) and a method of the laser arrangement, arranged to output energy in the form of laser emission, for emitting controlled Q-switched laser emission. The laser arrangement comprises a gain medium (2) arranged to be excited when pumped, an optical resonator (3), an active Q-switch (4) arranged in the optical resonator, said active Q-switch (4) being controllable between at least a high loss state and a low loss state, and being arranged to introduce loss in the optical resonator to prevent lasing in the high loss state and to affect lasing minimally in the low loss state, a photo detector (5) arranged to detect the presence of a free running pulse (1) generated by the optical resonator and which occurs when a lasing threshold is reached and a processing circuitry (6) arranged to control (S4) of the state of the active Q-switch based on the detection of the free running pulse.

The present disclosure relates a laser arrangement (1) and a method of the laser arrangement, arranged to output energy in the form of laser emission, for emitting controlled Q-switched laser emission. The laser arrangement comprises a gain medium (2) arranged to be excited when pumped, an optical resonator (3), an active Q-switch (4) arranged in the optical resonator, said active Q-switch (4) being controllable between at least a high loss state and a low loss state, and being arranged to introduce loss in the optical resonator to prevent lasing in the high loss state and to affect lasing minimally in the low loss state, a photo detector (5) arranged to detect the presence of a free running pulse (1) generated by the optical resonator and which occurs when a lasing threshold is reached and a processing circuitry (6) arranged to control (S4) of the state of the active Q-switch based on the detection of the free running pulse.

An infrared detection system comprises the following elements. A laser source provides radiation for illuminating a target (5). This radiation is tuned to at least one wavelength in the fingerprint region of the infrared spectrum. A detector (32) detects radiation backscattered from the target (5). An analyzer determines from at least the presence or absence of detected signal in said at least one wavelength whether a predetermined volatile compound is present. An associated detection method is also provided. In embodiments, the laser source is tunable over a plurality of wavelengths, and the detector comprises a hyperspectral imaging system. The laser source may be an optical parametric device has a laser gain medium for generating a pump beam in a pump laser cavity, a pump laser source and a nonlinear medium comprising a ZnGeP2 (ZGP) crystal. On stimulation by the pump beam, the ZnGeP2 (ZGP) crystal is adapted to generate a signal beam having a wavelength in a fingerprint region of the spectrum and an idler beam having a wavelength in the mid-infrared region of the spectrum. The laser gain medium and the ZnGeP2 (ZGP) crystal are located in the pump wave cavity.