Solid State Lasers Materials Technologies And Applications

This book is a printed edition of the Special Issue "Solid State Lasers Materials, Technologies and Applications" that was published in Applied Sciences

Solid-state lasers which offer multiple desirable qualities, including enhanced reliability, robustness, efficiency and wavelength diversity, are absolutely indispensable for many applications. The Handbook of solid-state lasers reviews the key materials, processes and applications of solid-state lasers across a wide range of fields. Part one begins by reviewing solid-state laser materials. Fluoride laser crystals, oxide laser ceramics, crystals and fluoride laser ceramics doped by rare earth and transition metal ions are discussed alongside neodymium, erbium and ytterbium laser glasses, and nonlinear crystals for solid-state lasers. Part two then goes on to explore solid-state laser systems and their applications, beginning with a discussion of the principles, powering and operation regimes for solid-state lasers. The use of neodymium-doped materials is considered, followed by system sizing issues with diode-pumped quasi-three level materials, erbium glass lasers, and microchip, fiber, Raman and cryogenic lasers. Laser mid-infrared systems, laser induced breakdown spectroscope and the clinical applications of surgical solid-state lasers are also explored. The use of solid-state lasers in defense programs is then reviewed, before the book concludes by presenting some environmental applications of solid-state lasers. With its distinguished editors and international team of expert contributors, the Handbook of solid-state lasers is an authoritative guide for all those involved in the design and application of this technology, including laser and materials scientists and engineers, medical and military professionals, environmental researchers, and academics working in this field. Reviews the materials used in solid-state lasers Explores the principles of solid-state laser systems and their applications Considers defence and environmental applications

Because of the favorable characteristics of solid-state lasers, they have become the preferred candidates for a wide range of applications in science and technology, including spectroscopy, atmospheric monitoring, micromachining, and precision metrology. Presenting the most recent developments in the field, Solid-State Lasers and Applications focuses on the design and applications of solid-state laser systems. With contributions from leading international experts, the book explores the latest research results and applications of solid-state lasers as well as various laser systems. The beginning chapters discuss current developments and applications of new solid-state gain media in different wavelength regions, including cerium-doped lasers in the ultraviolet range, ytterbium lasers near 1μm, rare-earth ion-doped lasers in the eye-safe region, and tunable Cr2+:ZnSe lasers in the mid-infrared range. The remaining chapters study specific modes of operation of solid-state laser systems, such as pulsed microchip lasers, high-power neodymium lasers, ultrafast solid-state lasers, amplification of femtosecond pulses with optical parametric amplifiers, and noise characteristics of solid-state lasers. Solid-State Lasers and Applications covers the most important aspects of the field to provide current, comprehensive coverage of solid-state lasers.

A solid-state laser use and gain medium that is a solid, rather than a liquid such as dye lasers or a gas such as gas lasers. Semiconductor-based lasers are also in the solid state, but are generally considered separately from solid-state lasers. Generally, the active medium of a solid-state laser consists of a glass or crystalline host material to which is added a dopant such as neodymium, chromium, erbium, or other ions. Many of the common dopants are rare earth elements, because the excited states of such ions are not strongly coupled with thermal vibrations of the crystalline lattice (phonons), and the lasing threshold can be reached at relatively low brightness of pump. There are many hundreds of solid-state media in which laser action has been achieved, but relatively few types are in widespread use. Of these, probably the most common type is neodymium doped YAG. Neodymium-doped glass (Nd:glass) and Ytterbium-doped glasses and ceramics are used in solid-state lasers at extremely high power (terawatt scale), high energy (megajoules) multiple beam systems for inertial confinement fusion. Titanium doped sapphire is also widely used for its broad tunability. This book gathers new research in the field.

Invention of the solid-state laser has initiated the beginning of the laser era. Performance of solid-state lasers improved amazingly during five decades. Nowadays, solid-state lasers remain one of the most rapidly developing branches of laser science and become an increasingly important tool for modern technology. This book represents a selection of chapters exhibiting various investigation directions in the field of solid-state lasers and the cutting edge of related applications. The materials are contributed by leading researchers and each chapter represents a comprehensive study reflecting advances in modern laser physics. Considered topics are intended to meet the needs of both specialists in laser system design and those who use laser techniques in fundamental science and applied research. This book is the result of efforts of experts from different countries. I would like to acknowledge the authors for their contribution to the book. I also wish to acknowledge Vedran Kordic for indispensable technical assistance in the book preparation and publishing.

This comprehensive handbook gives a fully updated guide to lasers and laser technologies, including the complete range of their technical applications. This third volume covers modern applications in engineering and technology, including all new and updated case studies spanning telecommunications and data storage to medicine, optical measurement, defense and security, nanomaterials processing and characterization. Key Features: • Offers a complete update of the original, bestselling work, including many brand-new chapters. • Deepens the introduction to fundamentals, from laser design and fabrication to host matrices for solid-state lasers, energy level diagrams, hosting materials, dopant energy levels, and lasers based on nonlinear effects. • Covers new laser types, including quantum cascade lasers, silicon-based lasers, titanium sapphire lasers, terahertz lasers, bismuth-doped fiber lasers, and diode-pumped alkali lasers. • Discusses the latest applications, e.g., lasers in microscopy, high-speed imaging, attosecond metrology, 3D printing, optical atomic clocks, time-resolved spectroscopy, polarization and profile measurements, pulse measurements, and laser-induced fluorescence detection. • Adds new sections on laser materials processing, laser spectroscopy, lasers in imaging, lasers in environmental sciences, and lasers in communications. This handbook is the ideal companion for scientists, engineers, and students working with lasers, including those in optics, electrical engineering, physics, chemistry, biomedicine, and other relevant areas.

Invention of the solid-state laser has initiated the beginning of the laser era. Performance of solid-state lasers improved amazingly during five decades. Nowadays, solid-state lasers remain one of the most rapidly developing branches of laser science and become an increasingly important tool for modern technology. This book represents a selection of chapters exhibiting various investigation directions in the field of solid-state lasers and the cutting edge of related applications. The materials are contributed by leading researchers and each chapter represents a comprehensive study reflecting advances in modern laser physics. Considered topics are intended to meet the needs of both specialists in laser system design and those who use laser techniques in fundamental science and applied research. This book is the result of efforts of experts from different countries. I would like to acknowledge the authors for their contribution to the book. I also wish to acknowledge Vedran Kordic for indispensable technical assistance in the book preparation and publishing.