Understanding Actively Q-Switched Solid-State Lasers
With an increased quantitative understanding of the operation of Q-switched lasers come huge benefits for laser design. This first article in a two-part series focuses on actively Q-switched lasers; the second part, in a later issue, will cover passively Q-switched lasers. Q-switched solid-state lasers have been used since the early 1960s, and their operation principles are theoretically well known. However, many working in the field do not sufficiently understand various details. The
Photonics Spectra, September 2014