Generation of intense subnanosecond 0.58-0.80-microm pulses with a flashlamp-pumped dye laser

Subnanosecond optical pulses (as short as 7 psec) have been generated over the 0.58-0.80-microm wavelength range with good beam quality, energies in excess of 1 microJ/pulse (up to 20 microJ/pulse), and repetition rates of at least 10 Hz using a flashlamp-pumped dye laser. The experimental details concerned with mode locking the dye laser and the selection of single pulses from the pulse train with an energy reproducibility of 10% are described.