Contrast and various configurations of lithium niobate switches used in YAG:Nd3+ lasers

An investigation was made of the contrast of electrooptic lithium niobate switches allowing for the quality of the electrooptic elements and various ways of using these switches. The half-wave configuration ensured a contrast approximately two orders of magnitude greater than the quarter-wave scheme, and it made it possible to achieve higher output energies from YAG:Nd³⁺ lasers.