Q-switching creates a short high-energy optical pulse by first storing population inversion while an optical cavity has high loss, then increasing its quality factor so that stimulated emission rapidly extracts the stored excitation. Its duration depends on photon lifetime, excess optical gain, inversion depletion and switching time; it is not fixed by a universal time-bandwidth equality.
Q-switching is a technique used in laser technology to produce short, intense pulses of light. The term "Q-switch" refers to the ability to control the quality factor (Q) of the laser cavity, which affects the energy output of the laser. By manipulating the Q factor, the laser can be switched from a low-energy continuous wave mode to a high-energy pulsed mode.
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