Gas Lasers - Recent Developments and Future Prospects

Gas lasers are unique in many ways: the availability of high (average) power in all parts of the spectrum from far IR to vacuum UV, the homogeneity of the active medium allowing high beam quality at high power, and relatively low cost. Industrial applications are a natural extension of laser development; one that has a direct effect on the development work. §The present volume presents many fundamental and technological problems associated with different types of lasers, such as beam properties, excitation technology, new pumping schemes, pulsed power, construction materials, and new codes for the description of laser operation. Particular emphasis is laid on high power systems operating in UV and vacuum UV, radio frequency discharge physics for waveguide structures, and the achievements in molecular CO and CO2 systems. Other striking results are a table-top kW CO2 slab laser, high cw output power in the 1-3 micron range with rf discharges in atomic gases at relatively high gas densities, and the efficient optical pumping of excimer lasers with ferrite flashes. Excimer lasers now operate at average powers of 1 kW in the UV, and the drive to shorter wavelength is promising for such materials as F2 at 157 nm. §A variety of applications are discussed: industrial systems with molecular systems; high resolution lithography; efficient X-ray production; fast switching techniques for IR laser beams.