Handbook of solid-state lasers: Materials, systems and applications

Solid state lasers are widely used in medicine, industry, scientific research, military and remote sensing applications. They comprise a dominant part of the overall laser market and are quickly replacing gas lasers for many applications due to their desirable characteristics such as good reliability and robustness, a high level of safety, user friendliness, compact size and a low cost to performance ratio. They can be maintenance free, suitable for high volume production and they are becoming available in a wide range of wavelengths. Leading contributing specialists provide a description of laser theory, the characterization of the main laser parameters, the principles of the operation of lasers, a classification of laser materials, and a review of the different types of lasers. The final section is devoted to solid-state laser applications in different technological processes, such as medicine, including surgery and ophthalmology, defense science, and environmental protection.