Double pulse laser

Claim 1

In a Q-switched laser apparatus provided with a solid laser medium and a Q-switch positioned adjacent to each other within a resonant cavity, and a flash lamp, provided with a starting electrode and a pair of main electrodes, positioned to irradiate said solid laser medium with pumping radiation, the improvement comprising: a. means for energizing said flash lamp repetitively for supplying optical pumping energy to said solid laser medium in rapidly recurring bursts, said flash lamp energizing means including 1. a first capacitor connected in a first discharge circuit through the main electrodes of said flash lamp, 2. a second capacitor connected in a second discharge circuit through the main electrodes of said flash lamp, 3. a common power supply for charging both said capacitors, and 4. means for sequentially discharging said capacitors through said flash lamp to provide two closely time-spaced optical pumping bursts; and b. means for actuating said Q-switch at substantially the same rate that said flash lamp is energized but with a delay substantially equal to the duration of one of said optical pumping bursts; c. the interval between successive optical pumping bursts being substantially equal to the interval between successive Q-switch actuations and no greater than the fluorescent life time of said solid laser medium, thereby to produce successive laser pulses spaced by intervals corresponding to the above-mentioned intervals.