Which type of laser would you expect to produce shorter pulses?

Free running pulsed lasers are designed specifically to generate short, high-energy pulses of laser light. These lasers operate by releasing bursts of energy at regular intervals, with pulse durations that can be extremely brief, often measured in nanoseconds or even picoseconds. The key characteristic of free running pulsed lasers is their ability to produce pulses that are significantly shorter than those made by other types of lasers.

In contrast, continuous wave lasers emit a constant stream of energy rather than discrete pulses, resulting in continuous output rather than short bursts. Gated pulsed lasers, while capable of producing pulsed emissions, typically have specific gating mechanisms that can affect the duration and regularity of the pulses compared to free running systems. Non-pulsed lasers do not produce any pulses at all, which again eliminates them from consideration for producing shorter pulse durations.

Understanding the fundamental operational principles of these different laser types helps clarify why free running pulsed lasers are most suited for applications that require shorter pulse outputs.