Yttrium aluminate sources of ultrashort radiation pulses with a controlled resonator Q factor

An experimental investigation was made of the output characteristics of a solid-state yttrium aluminate laser with passive and mode locking, operated in the regime of a controlled resonator Q factor. This made it possible to generate radiation pulses of 15 psec duration with a duration stability of ±5% and with the second harmonic energy constant to within ±6%. An electric synchronizing pulse was generated: it preceded a train of picosecond pulses by a time interval which could be varied continuously in the range 300–1500 nsec with an accuracy to within ±5 nsec.