Pulslaser

Pulled from the general concept: a pulsed laser, often referred to as a pulsed laser or pulslaser, is a laser that emits light in discrete bursts rather than a continuous beam. Each pulse contains a finite amount of energy, and the duration of pulses ranges from femtoseconds to nanoseconds. Because the energy is delivered in short bursts, the instantaneous or peak power can be very high even when the average power is modest. Pulsed lasers are used when precise energy delivery and nonlinear optical effects are important.

Pulse generation methods include mode locking (producing ultrashort pulses), Q-switching (higher-energy pulses with longer durations), and gain switching (simpler, often diode-pumped lasers). Pulse parameters include pulse duration τ, repetition rate f_rep, energy per pulse E_p, and peak power P_peak = E_p/τ. Average power P_avg = E_p × f_rep. Wavelength depends on the gain medium; common platforms include solid-state lasers such as Nd:YAG (1064 nm), Ti:sapphire (700–1000 nm), diode and fiber lasers around 1060–1550 nm, and mid-IR options like CO2 (10.6 μm).

Ultrafast or femtosecond lasers are used for precise micromachining, thin-film processing, and nonlinear spectroscopy. Nanosecond and microsecond pulses are common in industrial materials processing and some medical applications. Applications include materials processing (drilling, cutting, engraving), ophthalmology (femtosecond lasers for corneal surgery and cataract procedures), dermatology, microfabrication, LIDAR, and scientific research (pump-probe spectroscopy).

Safety and regulation: Pulsed lasers can deliver very high peak powers despite modest average power; they pose risks to eyes and skin and require proper laser safety measures, engineering controls, protective eyewear, and adherence to standards such as IEC 60825 and ANSI Z136.