Configuration Q-switching in a diode-pumped multirod variable-configuration resonator

We report on a novel technique for Q-switching at high repetition rates, where the change in the Q of the cavity is due to the capability of a variable-configuration multirod resonator (VCR) to switch between an unstable Fabry-Perot configuration and a stable ring configuration. The switching between the configurations is accomplished simply by the means of a Pockels cell. Using the new Q-switching technique, 35-ns-long pulses with a peak power of 17 kW at a repetition rate of 4 kHz, giving an average power of 2.4 W, were obtained.