GENERATION OF PICOSECOND PULSES BY FAST PERIODIC Q-SWITCHING IN KRF EXCIMER-LASER WITH SATURABLE ABSORBER

Properties of the short-pulse generation by fast periodic electrooptic Q-switching in a KrF laser with a saturable absorber like acridine dye is investigated numerically. The influence of the absorber and the Q-switch parameters, as well as of the gain and the pumping time of the medium on parameters of generated pulses is analysed. It is shown that using the saturable absorber one can improve the pulse parameters and, even with relatively short pumping time (50-100 ns) and moderate voltage switching time (almost-equal-to 1 ns), the technique enables to obtain high-contrast millijoule pulses of duration from a few to a dozen or so picoseconds.