A method and an apparatus for controlling the time interval between consecutive pulses of a pulsed laser beam, a respective laser processing method and a system

摘要

The invention relates to a method and a respective apparatus for controlling the time interval between consecutive pulses of a pulsed laser beam, and a respective system. The method comprisescoupling at least one pulse from an original pulse train generated by a laser source (10) into a delay unit (44), said delay unit (44) being external to a resonator of the laser source (10) or to the laser source (10);controlling the time delay of the at least one pulse introduced by the delay unit (44); andoutputting the at least one coupled pulse from the delay unit (44).;In an aspect the at least one pulse is coupled to the delay unit and released from it "on demand" upon receiving a respective control signal.;The invention relates further to a method and a system for generating a pulse train with a controllable time interval between consecutive pulses, as well as a laser processing method and a system employing a pulsed laser beam with controllable time interval between consecutive pulses.