The role of pulse power in flashlamp pumped lasers

Flashlamp excitation is an attractive method to initiate laser action in a range of lasing media. For example, flashlamp excitation can be applied to: the excitation of a range of solid state laser materials to generate visible and near infrared wavelength outputs; the excitation of dye solutions to generate tuneable visible and near infrared wavelength outputs; and the initiation of photodissociation lasers such as the iodine laser to generate ultraviolet and near infrared wavelength outputs. The design and realisation of a flashlamp pumped laser is a multi-disciplinary task. Here, the author describes, however, the design and realisation of the flashlamp drive circuit, or pulse forming network (PFN), is reliant on well proven pulsed power principles