A method of operating a continuously pumped, Q-switched laser to provide
trains of pulses for laser operations is disclosed. The laser includes a
solid-state gain-medium that exhibits a thermal-lensing effect on being
optically pumped. Pulse delivery is controlled by a Q-switch that is in a
normally-open state when the laser is not delivering pulses. This allows
the laser to deliver CW laser radiation when pulses are not being
delivered. A train of pulses is delivered by repeatedly interrupting the
CW operation by closing then reopening the Q-switch. When the Q-switch
reopens after the interruption, the laser delivers a pulse of laser
radiation, then resumes delivery of CW operation until the next
interruption. The inventive Q-switching method provides, by means of this
one particular repeated Q-switch operation, that the thermal-lensing
effect in the gain-medium before, during, and between delivery of pulse
trains remains constant, and that all pulses in a pulse train have the
same peak power.