"Laser Pulses: Theory, Technology, and Applications" ed. by Igor Peshko

This book discusses aspects of laser pulses generation, characterization, and practical applications. Some new achievements in theory, experiments, and design are demonstrated. The book includes examples of very delicate laser operation in biomedical areas and extremely high power systems used for material processing and water purification. This book will be useful for engineers and managers, for professors and students, and for those who are interested in laser science and technologies.

The introductive chapter shortly overviews the physical principles of pulsed lasers operation with pulse durations from seconds to yoctoseconds. A theory of mode-locking, based on the optical noise concept, is discussed. With this approximation, all paradoxes of ultrashort laser pulse formation have been explained.

Contents
Preface
Section 1 Introduction
1 Time and Light
Section 2 Pulsed World
2 Femtosecond Laser Cavity Characterization
3 All Solid-State Passively Mode-Locked Ultrafast Lasers Based on Nd, Yb, and Cr Doped Media
4 Longitudinally Excited C02 Laser
Section 3 Cutting and Shooting
5 Ultrashort Laser Pulses Machining
6 Diagnostics of a Crater Growth and Plasma Jet Evolution on Laser Pulse Materials Processing
7 Interaction of Femtosecond Laser Pulses with Solids: Electron/Phonon/Plasmon Dynamics
8 Kinetics and Dynamics of Phase Transformations in Metals Under Action of Ultra-Short High-Power Laser Pulses
9 Direct Writing in Polymers with Femtosecond Laser Pulses: Physics and Applications
I Holographic Fabrication of Periodic Microstructures by Interfered Femtosecond Laser Pulses
Section 4 Unusual Applications
II Ion Acceleration by High Intensity Short Pulse Lasers
12 Progress in High Average Power, Short Pulse Solid State Laser Technology for Compton X-Ray Sources
13 Ge02 Films with Ge-Nanoclusters in Layered Compositions: Structural Modifications with Laser Pulses
14 Jet Engine Based Mobile Gas Dynamic C02 Laser for Water Surface Cleaning
Section 5 Seeing Invisible
15 Single-Molecule Recognition and Dynamics with Pulsed Laser Excitation
16 Ultrashort Laser Pulses for Frequency Upconversion
17 Generation of Tunable THz Pulses