Solid-state lasers: Advances and prospects

Since the renaissance of solid-state lasers in the mid 1980´s numerous types of continuous wave (cw) and pulsed solid-state lasers have been developed with emission wavelengths from the ultraviolet to the mid-infrared spectral region. The research on new laser materials together with the advances in the field of semiconductor lasers have enabled the realization of efficient diode pumped solid-state lasers with important applications in many fields of science, industry, and daily life.