Abstract: There is provided by this invention an electro-optic modulator for damping acoustical energy produced by an electro-optic crystal. The modulator couples acoustic energy from the electro-optic crystal to an acoustic coupler due to the matching acoustic impedances of the coupler and the crystal. The coupler transmits the acoustic wave to the acoustic damper which dampens the acoustic energy. The coupler linearly decreases in height in a direction away from the crystal so that the acoustic wave is reflected through more than one damper prior to returning to the crystal, thus further decreasing acoustical energy. Another feature of this invention is the geometrical design of the electro-optic crystal which has two of its faces, which are not attached to a coupler, positioned not to be perpendicular with a face attached to a coupler.

Abstract: There is provided by this invention a controller for cavity dumping a laser which maintains a consistent output pulse energy level. The constant output pulse energy level is due to the clipping of the circulating power within the laser's cavity upon its reaching a threshold level. In order to further insure that the output pulses are of equal energy even within a laser that is pulse interval modulated, the threshold level for the circulating power within the laser's cavity is adjusted according to a predetermined ratio of the number of times the circulating power is clipped to the number of times the circulating power is not clipped so that the predetermined ratio is maintained.