Nanosecond and Picosecond laser

The designation refers to the duration of the optical pulses. A nanosecond corresponds to 10⁻⁹ seconds, while a picosecond corresponds to 10⁻¹² seconds. In the semiconductor lasers described here, short pulses are generated through direct electrical modulation or gain switching.

In nanosecond operation, the optical output power follows the applied current pulse relatively directly. In gain-switching operation, the laser diode is driven dynamically above the lasing threshold, allowing a significantly shorter picosecond optical pulse to be generated from a much longer electrical pulse.

The integrated grating of a DFB laser supports the selection of a preferred longitudinal mode. This enables stable single-mode operation and a well-defined center wavelength, which are important characteristics for seed lasers, measurement systems, and optical amplifier architectures.

Depending on the product family, pulse widths of approximately 15 ps, 50 ps, and nanoseconds are available. The portfolio covers numerous wavelengths in the 1 µm range, with particularly relevant variants at 1030 nm and 1064 nm. Availability should always be verified against the current part number.

Selected picosecond laser variants achieve peak powers of approximately 50 mW. Depending on the specific model, nanosecond laser variants are available with peak powers of approximately 100 mW to 400 mW. The permissible output power depends on pulse width, repetition rate, duty cycle, temperature, and driving conditions.

Yes. Several product families have been specifically designed for this purpose. The DFB laser serves as the master oscillator, defining key optical and temporal characteristics, while a downstream fiber amplifier increases the output power.

Yes. Reproducible gain-switching operation requires fast electrical pulses, controlled impedance matching, and a properly designed RF signal chain. The QCED106G series offers a compact solution including a driver board and software-assisted parameter configuration.

For rectangular pulses, the simplified relationship is: Average Power = Peak Power × Pulse Width × Repetition Rate
With very low duty cycles, peak power can be high while average power remains comparatively low.

For rectangular pulses, the simplified relationship is: Average Power = Peak Power × Pulse Width × Repetition Rate

With very low duty cycles, peak power can be high while average power remains comparatively low.For an ideal time-of-flight (ToF) system, the theoretical range resolution can be approximated by: ΔR = c × τ / 2
where:  ΔR = range resolution, c = speed of light, τ = pulse width

A 15 ps pulse corresponds to a theoretical range resolution of approximately 2.25 mm. In practice, real-world systems do not automatically achieve this value, as detector bandwidth, timing jitter, signal-to-noise ratio, optical design, and signal processing all impose additional limitations.