LASER APPARATUS FOR MATERIAL PROCESSING

摘要

Apparatus for material processing, which apparatus comprises a rare-earth doped fibre ( 1 ), a laser diode source ( 2 ), a short pulse laser ( 18 ) and a controller ( 9 ), wherein the rare-earth doped fibre ( 1 ) is pumped by the laser diode source ( 2 ) to provide optical radiation ( 10 ), and the optical radiation ( 10 ) emitted by the rare-earth doped fibre ( 1 ) is combined with optical radiation ( 11 ) emitted by the short pulse laser ( 18 ), the apparatus being characterised in that the controller ( 9 ) synchronizes the optical radiation ( 10 ) emitted from the rare-earth doped fibre ( 1 ) with the optical radiation ( 11 ) emitted by the short pulse laser ( 18 ) to provide a plurality of pulses ( 5 ) comprising a pre-pulse ( 21 ) and a main pulse ( 22 ), the average peak power ( 23 ) of the pre-pulse ( 21 ) being greater than the peak power ( 24 ) of the main pulse ( 22 ).