Abstract
There was a period of time, after the initial burst of solid-state laser research in the 1960s, in which significant discoveries in the field were few and far between. Only three systems-ruby, Nd:YAG, and Nd:glass-found widespread use in science and industry. Starting around 1980, the discovery of new tunable laser materials such as alexandrite, the development of chromium-sensitized host crystals, aggressive pursuit of new active-media geometries, and technological advances in high-power semiconductor lasers all combined to initiate what some have described as a renaissance in solid-state lasers. To date there is no indication that this renaissance has run its course, and here we cover some of the latest discoveries in the field, as well as some significant emerging applications.
© 1992 Optical Society of America
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