Abstract: An EOM Q-switched CO2 laser produces bursts of laser pulses delivered at a high PRF such as 20-140 kHz and having a short high-power spike of about 80-150 ns followed by a lower-power tail of about 0.05-12.0 &mgr;s. The bursts and/or laser pulses can be shaped by controlling the RF pumping duty cycle, the delay between the onset of RF pumping and the initiation of Q-switching, the pulse repetition frequency, and/or the duration of the tail. The bursts of laser pulses can be adapted to facilitate machining of metal layers and/or layers containing materials having disparate vaporization temperatures and/or disparate melting points, such as FR4 or green ceramics.

Abstract: A folded waveguide CO2 laser includes a plurality of waveguides arranged in a zigzag pattern with ends thereof overlapping. The laser includes a resonator having an axis extending through the plurality of waveguides. At least a portion of at least one of the waveguides has a uniform minimum width selected cooperative with the height of the waveguide and the laser wavelength such that the resonator can oscillate in only a single mode. At least a portion of one of the waveguides is tapered such that its width increases in one direction along the resonator axis. Tapering one or more of the waveguides provides that the total waveguide area and potential power output of the laser is greater than that of a zigzag arrangement of waveguides having the same total length waveguides each having a uniform width equal to the minimum width of the waveguide in the tapered waveguide arrangement.

Abstract: A thermally efficient laser head including a laser housing, a heat exchanger disposed so as to be associated with the laser housing, wherein the combination of the laser housing and the heat exchanger includes a structurally neutral axis and a thermal force centroid axis, wherein the centroid axis and the neutral axis are disposed within different planes and a thermal tuning element, wherein the thermal tuning element is disposed relative to the heat exchanger and the laser housing so as to cause the centroid axis and the neutral axis to be disposed within coincidental planes. A laser assembly including a laser head having a longitudinal axis, wherein the laser head includes a laser housing and a heat exchanger, wherein the laser housing is thermally associated with the heat exchanger and a support structure, wherein the support structure is unbendingly associated with the laser assembly so as to allow the laser head to expand along the longitudinal axis.