Influence of the retardation of the multiplexing element in a dual channel Q-switched laser

We present an experimental and numerical analysis, how deviations of the multiplexer-retardation influence the output power of a time-multiplexed dual channel laser. The laser has two different channels, each one with its own gain medium. The channels are time-multiplexed by a single crystal photo-elastic modulator. It enables to double the repetition rate and output power of the laser. However, as multiplexing is based on polarization-switching, the retardation of the modulator should be kept within certain limits. By experimental measurement and theoretical analysis, we determine the operational window within which the retardation should be kept to avoid additional losses into the resonator. The analysis was done for two configurations of the laser setup, namely with and without a quarter-wave plate.