laserpuls

Laserpuls is the common German term for a laser pulse, a transient burst of coherent light emitted by a laser. The pulse represents a brief increase in light intensity compared to the continuous output of many lasers, and its duration can span from femtoseconds (10^-15 seconds) to nanoseconds (10^-9 seconds). The emitted light remains highly coherent and can be nearly transform-limited, with a bandwidth determined by the pulse duration.

Pulse generation relies on specialized laser techniques. Mode locking forces many longitudinal cavity modes to oscillate in phase, producing ultrashort pulses. Q-switching stores energy in the gain medium and releases it in a short, high-energy burst, while gain switching changes the pump or cavity conditions to form a pulse. Chirped or stretched pulses can be compressed after amplification to reach shorter durations, a strategy used in chirped pulse amplification (CPA).

Key properties of a laser pulse include duration, peak power, pulse energy, and spectral bandwidth. Shorter pulses generally require broader bandwidth and can achieve higher peak powers, enabling nonlinear interactions. The spatial profile and temporal shape also influence applications.

Common laser media and configurations used to produce Laserpuls include solid-state lasers (such as Nd:YAG or Ti:sapphire) and fiber lasers, each supporting different pulse regimes and repetition rates. Applications span ultrafast spectroscopy, time-resolved measurements, precision materials processing, ophthalmic surgery, and light detection and ranging (LIDAR), among others. Safety and dispersion management are important in systems designed to deliver clean, repeatable pulses.