Hybrid high power laser to achieve high repetition rate and high pulse energy

摘要

A fiber laser cavity that provides a new pulse shaping and spectral shaping technique is disclosed in this invention to achieve the purpose of resolving the difficulties arising from the issues related to Q-switched solid state lasers. The laser system achieves high repetition rate (1 kHz-100 kHz) and high pulse-to-pulse energy stability with small timing jitter of the laser pulses and scalable to the Joule pulse energy level. The laser system of this invention employs new approach with a hybrid fiber/waveguide master Oscillator-High Power Amplifier (MOPA) laser system in combination with the pulse shaping technology that allows not only to scale the fiber laser pulse energy to the multi-Joule level with high pulse-to-pulse energy stability but also achieve precise control of laser pulse timing jitter in a scale of 100 ps that is at least 5 to 10 time more accurate than for Q-switched systems where the same parameter reaches 500-1000 ps range.