The Q-Switch

The Q-Switch is an optical component in pulsed laser systems. With the Q-switch, the quality (Q factor) of the optical resonator can be changed to emit single high-power laser pulses.

In contrast to a purely pulsed excitation of a laser, the installation of a controlled Q-switch in the optical resonator circuit results in exact and shortened pulse sequences. With the installation of a Q-switch, a temporal energy build-up in the laser medium during the blocking periods is made possible, thus achieving a massively higher peak power in the power range after release.

This is necessary for the removal of materials at low continuous laser power. The Q-switches in our laser systems are active and can be electronically controlled variably in both the repetition rate and in the pulse width/pulse energy within certain limits.