Pulse energy modulation of the cw-mode-locked 1.32 μm Nd-YAG-laser by drive frequency detuning

Abstract The frequency of an acousto-optic mode-locker is detuned from the fundamental resonance frequency of the cavity resulting in undamped oscillations of the laser pulse energy. The envelope of the mode-locked pulse train consists of spikes 10 μs wide with a repetition time of 46 μs. The energy of the mode-locked pulses in a spike is increased by up to a factor of 50 compared to a cw-mode-locked pulse. The pulse width can be as short as 700 ps.