Method and apparatus to dynamically control the resonator gain of a laser

Claim 3

The apparatus as recited in claim 1 further comprising: means for providing a signal correspondence to a second predetermined output pulse shape; and means for modifying said output pulse responsive to said signal.

Claim 4

The apparatus as recited in claim 1 further comprising: means for providing a reference pulse when said laser light reaches a predetermined intensity in said resonator; and means for activating said Q-switch when said reference pulse is provided.

Claim 5

The apparatus as recited in claim 1 further comprising means for generating a reference signal corresponding to said predetermined shape.

Claim 6

The apparatus as recited in claim 4 further comprising means for generating a variation signal corresponding to said reference signal.

Claim 7

The apparatus as recited in claim 1 further comprising means for generating a feedback signal corresponding to the intensity of said laser light in said resonator means.

Claim 8

The apparatus as recited in claim 1 further comprising means for indicating when said output pulse exceeds a predetermined threshold.

Claim 9

The apparatus as recited in claim 1 further comprising means for providing an indication when said output pulse has a minimum amplitude below a predetermined threshold.

Claim 10

A Q-switched laser apparatus comprising: a laser resonator having a Pockels cell capable of making polarization changes, the Pockels cell optically coupled to a laser head, the resonator generating a laser output pulse; said Pockels cell regulating the intensity of the laser light within said resonator by changing the polarization of the light within said resonator in response to a variation correction; a photo detector sensing the intensity of laser light within said resonator and providing a feedback signal representative of the intensity of the light within said resonator; a comparator providing a reference pulse; a summing amplifier receiving said reference pulse and said feedback signal and generating a variation signal having a magnitude corresponding to the variation of the feedback signal from the reference pulse; and means responsive to said variation signal for providing the variation correction to said Pockels cell, the variation correction related to the magnitude of said variation signal.

Claim 11

A Q-switched laser apparatus comprising: a laser resonator having a Pockels cell capable of making polarization changes, the Pockels cell optically coupled to a laser head, the resonator generating a laser output pulse; said Pockels cell regulating the intensity of the laser light within said resonator by changing the polarization of the light within said resonator in response to a variation correction; a photo detector sensing the intensity of laser light within said resonator and providing a feedback signal representative of the intensity of the light within said resonator; a comparator providing a reference pulse; a summing amplifier receiving said reference pulse and said feedback signal and generating a variation signal having a magnitude corresponding to the variation of the feedback signal from the reference pulse; and means responsive to said variation signal for providing the variation correction to said Pockels cell, the variation correction related to the magnitude of said variation signal.

Claim 12

The Q-switched laser apparatus as recited in claim 9 wherein said comparator generates the reference signal when the feedback pulse has a magnitude that exceeds a predetermined reference.

Claim 13

The Q-switched laser apparatus as recited in claim 9 further comprising means for altering the reference pulse.

Claim 14

The Q-switched laser apparatus as recited in claim 9 wherein said summing amplifier generates the variation signal with a voltage level amplitude that varies in response to said resonator laser intensity variation from a predetermined reference.

Claim 15

The Q-switched laser apparatus as recited in claim 9 further comprising means for providing an indication when said laser output pulse exceeds a predetermined threshold.

Claim 16

The Q-switched laser apparatus as recited in claim 9 further comprising means responsive to said feedback signal for indicating when said laser output pulse varies from said reference pulse by more than a predetermined amount.

Claim 19

The method as recited in claim 15 further comprising the step of modifying voltage levels across said Pockels cell in response to said sensed variations to maintain said predetermined shape of said output pulse.

Claim 20

The method as recited in claim 15 further comprising the steps of: providing a control signal corresponding to a second predetermined shape; and changing said predetermined shape to the second predetermined shape in response to said control signal.

Claim 21

A laser resonator comprising: a laser rod and pump for generating an output of coherent energy; means within the laser resonator for shaping the coherent energy output into pulses having predetermined characteristics; means for detecting variations in the pulses within the resonator with respect to the predetermined characteristics and providing an output representative of the variations; and means responsive to the detecting means output for regulating the shaping means to maintain an output with pulses having the predetermined characteristics.

Claim 22

A laser resonator comprising: a laser rod and pump for generating an output of coherent energy; means within the laser resonator for shaping the coherent energy output into pulses having predetermined characteristics; means for detecting variations in the pulses within the resonator with respect to the predetermined characteristics and providing an output representative of the variations; and means responsive to the detecting means output for regulating the shaping means to maintain an output with pulses having the predetermined characteristics.