Divided pulse lasers

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices are disclosed for divided-pulse lasers. In one aspect, a pulsed laser is provided to include a laser cavity including an optical amplifier and a plurality of optical dividing elements and configured to direct a laser pulse of linearly polarized light into the plurality of optical dividing elements to divide the light of the laser pulse into a sequence of divided pulses each having a pulse energy being a portion of the energy of the laser pulse before entry of the optical dividing elements, to subsequently direct the divided pulses into the optical amplifier to produce amplified divided pulses. The laser cavity is configured to direct the amplified divided pulses back into the plurality of optical dividing elements for a second time in an opposite direction to recombine the amplified divided pulses into a single laser pulse with greater pulse energy as an output pulse of the laser cavity.

1 - 24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . A pulsed laser that generates pulse bursts, comprising:
 an optical cavity including a laser gain medium for generating laser pulses and a set of optical dividing elements within the optical cavity,   wherein the set of optical dividing elements is configured to divide a laser pulse from the laser gain medium into a sequence of temporally spaced sub-pulses each having a lower pulse energy than the laser pulse, and   wherein the optical cavity directs the sequence of temporally spaced sub-pulses out of the optical cavity as a laser output burst.   
     
     
         26 . The pulsed laser of  claim 25 , wherein the laser cavity is configured to direct the sequence of sub-pulses into the laser gain medium to produce a sequence of amplified sub-pulses and subsequently direct the sequence of amplified sub-pulses out of the optical cavity as the laser output burst. 
     
     
         27 . The pulsed laser of  claim 25 , wherein the laser cavity is a linear cavity. 
     
     
         28 - 36 . (canceled) 
     
     
         37 . The pulsed laser of  claim 25 , wherein the laser cavity is a ring cavity. 
     
     
         38 . A method for generating pulse bursts, comprising:
 operating an optical cavity with a gain medium to generate laser pulses,   using a set of optical dividing elements within the optical cavity to divide a laser pulse from the laser gain medium into a sequence of temporally spaced sub-pulses each having a lower pulse energy than the laser pulse, and   coupling the sequence of temporally spaced sub-pulses out of the optical cavity as a laser output burst.   
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , comprising:
 directing the sequence of sub-pulses into the laser gain medium to produce a sequence of amplified sub-pulses; and   subsequently directing the sequence of amplified sub-pulses out of the optical cavity as the laser output burst.