Neodymium lasers with short-term periodic loss modulation

High-energy subnanosecond pulses were generated for the first time by short-term periodic modulation of the losses in neodymium lasers (yttrium aluminate crystal and glass with an inhomogeneously broadened line). Experiments confirmed the main advantages of this method: lasing stability over a wide range of the detuning and of the pump intensities, and feasibility of generation of ultrashort pulses with high energies (up to several joules). Single picosecond pulses were generated in the yttrium aluminate laser and pulses of duration less than 200 ps and of about 1 J energy were generated in the neodymium glass laser.