C
Chris Carlen
- Jan 1, 1970
- 0
Hi:
Commercial q-switch drivers are upwards of $4000 to put 3-4kV into a few
pF in 1.5ns or so.
The drivers in the lasers I work with are custom made Marx banks done by
the laser manufacturer, it seems, and the schematics are not complicated
at all. Looks like something I can do if I just copied their circuit.
I don't think it can do 1.5ns though, more like in the 5-15ns range. I
am not sure of the exact relationship between q-switch switching time
and Nd:YAG laser pulse duration, but I'd like to get in the 10ns range
for a custom built laser.
I can barely afford the q-switch, so I'd have to make my own driver.
Does 3-4kV into 6pF in 5-10ns seem all that hard? It has to be done
only at 1-30Hz or so, and held for only a little longer than the laser
pulse, let's say 100ns.
I wonder how I'd measure the performance? It seems it would only be
possible indirectly by measuring perhaps the rise/fall times of the
modulation of a CW laser beam aimed through the q-switch.
Comments appreciated.
Good day!
--
____________________________________
Christopher R. Carlen
Principal Laser/Optical Technologist
Sandia National Laboratories CA USA
[email protected]
Commercial q-switch drivers are upwards of $4000 to put 3-4kV into a few
pF in 1.5ns or so.
The drivers in the lasers I work with are custom made Marx banks done by
the laser manufacturer, it seems, and the schematics are not complicated
at all. Looks like something I can do if I just copied their circuit.
I don't think it can do 1.5ns though, more like in the 5-15ns range. I
am not sure of the exact relationship between q-switch switching time
and Nd:YAG laser pulse duration, but I'd like to get in the 10ns range
for a custom built laser.
I can barely afford the q-switch, so I'd have to make my own driver.
Does 3-4kV into 6pF in 5-10ns seem all that hard? It has to be done
only at 1-30Hz or so, and held for only a little longer than the laser
pulse, let's say 100ns.
I wonder how I'd measure the performance? It seems it would only be
possible indirectly by measuring perhaps the rise/fall times of the
modulation of a CW laser beam aimed through the q-switch.
Comments appreciated.
Good day!
--
____________________________________
Christopher R. Carlen
Principal Laser/Optical Technologist
Sandia National Laboratories CA USA
[email protected]