Neodymium glass laser with controlled pulse shape and duration

A study was made of a neodymium glass laser with control of the pulse shape and duration in the nanosecond and subnanosecond ranges. The laser consisted of a master oscillator and an amplifying system. The time profile of a radiation pulse was shaped with an electrooptic deflector made of lithium niobate and a Pockels switch with two DKDP crystals in the amplifying system. Small-scale self-focusing in the amplifiers was suppressed by spatial filtering of the radiation. Pulses of duration 3 nsec and with an intensity difference up to three orders of magnitude were obtained at the laser output. The duration of the sharpened part of the pulse was ≈200 psec. The radiation energy at the output was as high as 10 J.