Acoustic Q-switching uses sound waves and light to switch a laser beam on and off. Sound waves compress an acousto-optic crystal, altering its index of refraction and deflecting the laser beam so it enters an on state.
Acoustic waves then intercept the laser beam, transitioning it into a low-loss state, which triggers it to pulse.
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Q-switching in laser systems offers many advantages, with its primary benefit being increased peak power levels than would otherwise be achievable through continuous wave operation. This increase can be realized by limiting energy loss that occurs within its output cavity and increasing peak power levels accordingly.
Active Q-switching is the method by which this goal can be reached. To do this, some form of variable attenuator must be placed inside a laser&#;s optical resonator; when in its &#;on&#; state, this prevents light from leaving and thus stopping lasing, while when turned &#;off&#;, light can still exit and resume lasing.
To create the necessary conditions for pulse formation, an attenuator must produce sufficient losses inside of the laser&#;s optical resonator when switched &#;on&#;, in addition to being capable of creating a clean high intensity short duration pulse.
An acousto-optic Q-switching device used in laser systems can fulfill these criteria while offering additional advantages &#; lower losses, faster switching speeds and increased peak power levels being just some examples of them.
An Acoustic Q-switching (AOQS) cell consists of three elements: a transparent crystal, an RF generator and an acoustic transducer. The former produces an alternating electric current which vibrates the transducer; these vibrations travel to the crystal through which they create acoustic waves which deflect and absorb laser beams.
While in its &#;on&#; state, sound waves produced by compression of crystal index of refraction causes beam deflection away from one of the mirrors within a laser system and stops lasing. Once off-switched however, compression of acoustic waves reestablishes its original pattern of diffraction pattern thus restoring laser gain and lasing again.
Q-switching uses an acousto-optic process called Q-switching to produce laser pulses with short duration and extremely high peak power, making it suitable for applications that demand such pulses such as resistor trimming.
Acoustic Q-switching technology exploits sound waves&#; ability to flex optically transmissive materials by exerting pressure upon them, changing their index of refraction and deflecting light beams away from their normal course. Q-switches take advantage of this effect to produce high-energy laser pulses that last much shorter than continuous wave (CW) lasers.
Pulses produced by an acousto-optic acoustic q-switch are highly collimated and tightly focused, helping reduce energy loss &#; an essential feature for high performance lasers. Furthermore, collimated pulses have less jitter and greater stability compared to continuous wave (CW) beams.
Pulse synchronization can be achieved using either a passive acousto-optic Q switch or an active acousto-optic modulator integrated into a laser resonator. A passive acousto-optic q-switch employs a transducer with an attached saturable absorber, which vibrates when exposed to RF power, producing shock waves which flex the laser crystal and create a Q switch effect.
As soon as RF power is removed from the laser rod, its saturable absorber no longer generates shock waves and its acoustic Q-switch is &#;opened,&#; leading to drastically decreased cavity losses and an unprecedented drop in gain threshold, releasing stored energy through rapid pulse emission from within its storage chambers.
Active acousto-optic Q-switches can be activated externally with devices that reduce losses in the laser resonator such as mechanical shutters or chopper wheels, Pockel&#;s cells or Kerr cells; or modulators which allow faster transition from low Q to high Q as well as more precise control of laser output.
Passive and active acousto-optic Q switches produce short duration, high peak power pulses. Their ability to quickly and repeatedly create such pulses makes lasers with these Q-switches suitable for applications which would otherwise be impractical or impossible with conventional Nd:YAG laser systems; for instance resistor trimming using such short pulses can be performed by rapidly vaporizing thin layers of material without damaging substrates.
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Every optically transmissive material has an index of refraction that determines how light bends as it travels through it. Sound waves can compress material and temporarily alter its index of refraction to redirect laser beams away from their previous path &#; this principle forms the basis for acousto-optic Q-switching in lasers.
Q-switching involves inserting some form of saturable absorber in a laser&#;s optical resonator. The absorber has the ability to switch from its low-loss state into high-loss state when pulsed RF signal from an RF driver passes through its AO cell. Once powered down at its appropriate time, however, the absorber returns back into high-loss state, thus stopping oscillation of the laser and freeing up energy stored inside it &#; creating short duration pulses of high intensity light!
Acousto-optic Q-switching technology is utilized by Nd:YAG laser systems to generate pulses with high peak power and short duration that resemble continuous waves, making the laser an ideal candidate for applications that require strong peak power, such as resistor trimming. This allows it to safely vaporize resistive material without risking heat damage to its substrate surface.
Comparative to mechanical Q-switches, acousto-optic Q-switches are more efficient and have reduced switching losses, offering higher initial pulse suppression and better pulse-to-pulse stability.
An acousto-optic Q-switch generally features a crystal made from quartz, fused silica or sapphire and connected to an RF generator via shock waves from an RF generator which produces shockwaves which flex the crystal, producing an acoustic pressure wave that interacts with resonator mirror to produce periodic variations in laser reflection in crystal and switch it on or off at very low repetition rates.
G&H offers an extensive selection of ready-to-use acousto-optic Q-switches designed specifically to control lamp pumped and diode pumped lasers at near infrared wavelengths, with rapid fall times, tight synchronization, fixed or variable mode operation options, first pulse suppression features and multichannel operation to drive multiple Q-switches within one laser system. We also provide our own line of RF drivers designed to control these switches for further precision.
Q-switched lasers produce short duration, high peak power pulses that enable applications which would otherwise be difficult or impossible with continuous wave (CW) Nd:YAG laser systems, such as resistor trimming. A Q-switched laser has much lower power requirements to vaporize this layer without overheating its substrate; hence causing less thermal damage to it than using conventional systems would.
An RF signal applied to an acousto-optic Q-switch creates shockwaves within its crystal, leading to areas with an increased and decreased refractive index and thus deflection of laser beam in different directions. When switched off, these areas return back to their usual states and laser beam resumes its regular path through laser resonators resetting cavity losses and preventing oscillation.
A Q-switch is often utilized when working with passive and active laser gain media, in order to introduce optical losses that initially prevent laser operation but ultimately allow it once a saturable absorber fills with energy, then releases this stored energy as a short, intense laser pulse.
Passive Q-switches typically consist of a saturable absorber crystal in the laser resonator, such as Cr4+:YAG crystal for Nd:YAG laser or semiconductor saturable absorber mirror in case of other wavelength operation wavelengths.
Acousto-optic Q-switching not only offers multiple advantages, but it is also more power efficient than other methods due to eliminating the need for power supplies in laser cavities and thus operating at lower frequencies and reduced system costs; its lower power requirement also enables it to function with smaller pump sources &#; a critical consideration in systems which require large pulse energy outputs.
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