A fast scalable switching technique for high-power CO2 laser radiation

Abstract

Fast switching of high-power 10-μm radiation by reflection from optically induced carriers in polycrystalline germanium has been demonstrated. Initial studies carried out with a single-mode TEA CO2 laser and a 2-nsec ruby laser pulse have resulted in the generation of synchronized ∼2-nsec pulses of 0.69- and 10-μm wavelength. Potential applications of this technique include the selection of single high-energy pulses from the mode-locked output of large-aperture CO2 lasers.