Classification and Analysis of Nanosecond Pulsed Laser Driver with Circuit Theory

This paper systematically classifies existing nanosecond pulse laser drivers with the circuit theory viewpoint. The classification revealed the principle and intrinsic of laser driver circuits that are very beneficial for engineering design, allowing simple and direct comparison of characteristics and limitations of different nanosecond pulse laser driver circuits. In the circuit classification, the laser driver circuits are modeled as voltage and current sources by Kirchhoff’s laws, and their pros and cons are analyzed in detail. Moreover, a method of improve pulse peak current and repetition frequency by applying paralleled and phase shift is proposed for nanosecond pulsed topologies by analysis pros and cons. Simulations and experiments are carried out to illustrate the characteristics of the classification and proposed methods.