Pismo Pulse Pickers from Delmar Photonics are innovative electro-optical ultrafast shutters designed to selectively pick off pulses from the pulse train of femtosecond or picosecond lasers. These advanced pulse pickers offer exceptional control over the repetition rate of the pulse train, allowing users to isolate a single pulse at a fixed frequency. This capability significantly enhances the contrast of the signal, making it an invaluable tool in precision optical applications.

The Pismo Pulse Pickers are available as stand-alone devices, each equipped with a Pockels cell, synchronization unit, delay generator, and high voltage driver unit. The operation of these pulse pickers is based on the linear electro-optic effect, also known as the Pockels effect. This effect utilizes an applied electric field to induce birefringence in the Pockels cell, which is proportional to the electric field. The Pockels cells used in these devices are crafted from Deuterated Potassium Dihydrogen Phosphate (DKDP) crystal, a material renowned for its wide transparency range and high optical damage threshold.

In practical terms, a pulse picker is crucial for selecting single optical pulses of picosecond or femtosecond duration from a sequence of pulses. It plays a significant role in controlling femtosecond multipass and regenerative amplifiers. The Pismo Pulse Pickers are designed to deliver high efficiency and contrast ratio, ensuring reliable performance in demanding environments. Their rugged design makes them easy to install and align, providing a seamless user experience.

The Pismo control unit further enhances functionality by offering five output pulses with precise timing delays, which can be synchronized with various signals. This level of control is essential for applications requiring meticulous timing and synchronization, ensuring that the Pismo Pulse Pickers meet the highest standards of precision and reliability.