Effects of mirror jitter and loss modulation in Q-switched lasers: a state-space analysis.

The effect of mirror instability and jitter in Q-switched lasers is investigated. Pulse shapes and timing are significantly disturbed by these effects. A simple model is presented based on a state-space approach. Several types of pulses are obtained, which are compared with experimental traces of a CO(2) rotating mirror Q-switched laser. Loss modulation as a global means of pulse shaping is also discussed.