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The duration of a laser pulse, typically measured as the time interval between the half-power points on the leading and trailing edges of the pulse.
[box]Typical units:
Microsecond (µs) = 10-6s
Nanosecond (ns) = 10-9s
Picosecond (ps) = 10-12s
Femtosecond (fs) = 10-15s[/box]
The power of a single, brief emission from a laser programmed for pulsed behavior rather than continuous operation. Pulse energy can be several times greater than CW emission.
Pulse decay time, which can be shortened (by using a special mixture of gases) to allow for fast repetition of laser pulses within a given length of time.
To excite the lasing medium. See Optical Pumping.