Gas lasers : recent developments and future prospects

This volume contains the proceedings ofthe NATO Advanced Research Workshop 950443 on "Gas lasers-recent development and future prospects". The workshop was held in Moscow, July 2-5, 1995. During the workshop 22 oral presentations and 23 posters havebeen presented. Among the continuously expanding research on new laser systems in the extending spectrum range gas lasers are unique in many ways: the availability of high (average) power in all parts of the spectrum from the far infrared to the vacuum ultraviolet, the homogeneity ofthe active medium with the potential ofhigh beam quality even at high power and their relatively low costs. In the gas laser development one can distinguish the research towards new or improved laboratory devices and the efforts that are devoted to the development of characteristics like reliability, low costs and versatility that make the laser more suitable for industrial purposes. The industrial applications with dedicated devices are not only a natural e"1ension ofthe laser development itselfbut moreover they have nowadays a strong stimulating effecton this development. The workshop offered the participants many opportunities to discuss fundamental and technological problems of different types of lasers connected with beam proporties, excitation technology, new pumping schemes, pulsed power, construction materials and new codes for the description of laser operation. The interest was especially directed towards high power systems operating in the ultraviolet and vacuum ultraviolet, the radio'frequency discharge physics for waveguide structures and the achievement in molecular CO and CO systems.