Coherent sources of mid-infrared (mid-IR) radiation are of great interest for a wide range of scienti?c and technological applications from spectroscopy and frequency metrology to information technology, industrial process control, pho- chemistry, photobiology and photomedicine. The mid-IR spectrum, which may be de?ned as wavelengths beyond ?2µm, covers important atmospheric windows, and numerous molecular gases, toxic agents, air, water, and soil pollutants, c- ponents of human breath, and several explosive agents have strong absorption ?ngerprints in this region. The development of practical coherent solid-state sources in the mid-IR can thus provide indispensable tools for a variety of - plications in environmental monitoring and pollution control, detection of water and soil contaminants, food quality control, agriculture and life sciences, and n- invasive disease diagnosis and therapy through breath analysis. Coherent mid-IR sources also offer important technologies for atmospheric chemistry, free-space communication, imaging, rapid detection of explosives, chemical and biological agents, nuclear material and narcotics, as well as applications in air- and sea-born safety and security, amongst many. The timely advancement of coherent mid-IR sources is, therefore, vital to future progress in many application areas across a broad range of scienti?c, technological, and industrial disciplines. On the other hand, more than 40 years after the invention of laser, much of the mid-IR spectrum still remains inaccessible to conventional lasers due to fun- mental limitations, most notably a lack of suitable crystalline laser gain materials.

Coherent sources of mid-infrared (mid-IR) radiation are of great interest for a wide range of scienti?c and technological applications from spectroscopy and frequency metrology to information technology, industrial process control, pho- chemistry, photobiology and photomedicine. The mid-IR spectrum, which may be de?ned as wavelengths beyond ?2µm, covers important atmospheric windows, and numerous molecular gases, toxic agents, air, water, and soil pollutants, c- ponents of human breath, and several explosive agents have strong absorption ?ngerprints in this region. The development of practical coherent solid-state sources in the mid-IR can thus provide indispensable tools for a variety of - plications in environmental monitoring and pollution control, detection of water and soil contaminants, food quality control, agriculture and life sciences, and n- invasive disease diagnosis and therapy through breath analysis. Coherent mid-IR sources also offer important technologies for atmospheric chemistry, free-space communication, imaging, rapid detection of explosives, chemical and biological agents, nuclear material and narcotics, as well as applications in air- and sea-born safety and security, amongst many. The timely advancement of coherent mid-IR sources is, therefore, vital to future progress in many application areas across a broad range of scienti?c, technological, and industrial disciplines. On the other hand, more than 40 years after the invention of laser, much of the mid-IR spectrum still remains inaccessible to conventional lasers due to fun- mental limitations, most notably a lack of suitable crystalline laser gain materials.

Coherent sources of mid-infrared (mid-IR) radiation are of great interest for a wide range of scienti?c and technological applications from spectroscopy and frequency metrology to information technology, industrial process control, pho- chemistry, photobiology and photomedicine. The mid-IR spectrum, which may be de?ned as wavelengths beyond ?2µm, covers important atmospheric windows, and numerous molecular gases, toxic agents, air, water, and soil pollutants, c- ponents of human breath, and several explosive agents have strong absorption ?ngerprints in this region. The development of practical coherent solid-state sources in the mid-IR can thus provide indispensable tools for a variety of - plications in environmental monitoring and pollution control, detection of water and soil contaminants, food quality control, agriculture and life sciences, and n- invasive disease diagnosis and therapy through breath analysis. Coherent mid-IR sources also offer important technologies for atmospheric chemistry, free-space communication, imaging, rapid detection of explosives, chemical and biological agents, nuclear material and narcotics, as well as applications in air- and sea-born safety and security, amongst many. The timely advancement of coherent mid-IR sources is, therefore, vital to future progress in many application areas across a broad range of scienti?c, technological, and industrial disciplines. On the other hand, more than 40 years after the invention of laser, much of the mid-IR spectrum still remains inaccessible to conventional lasers due to fun- mental limitations, most notably a lack of suitable crystalline laser gain materials.

The book describes the most advanced techniques for generating coherent light in the mid-infrared region of the spectrum. These techniques represent diverse areas of photonics and include heterojunction semiconductor lasers, quantum cascade lasers, tunable crystalline lasers, fiber lasers, Raman lasers, and optical parametric laser sources. Offering authoritative reviews by internationally recognized experts, the book provides a wealth of information on the essential principles and methods of the generation of coherent mid-infrared light and on some of its applications. The instructive nature of the book makes it an excellent text for physicists and practicing engineers who want to use mid-infrared laser sources in spectroscopy, medicine, remote sensing and other fields, and for researchers in various disciplines requiring a broad introduction to the subject.

The book describes the most advanced techniques for generating coherent light in the mid-infrared region of the spectrum. These techniques represent diverse areas of photonics and include heterojunction semiconductor lasers, quantum cascade lasers, tunable crystalline lasers, fiber lasers, Raman lasers, and optical parametric laser sources. Offering authoritative reviews by internationally recognized experts, the book provides a wealth of information on the essential principles and methods of the generation of coherent mid-infrared light and on some of its applications. The instructive nature of the book makes it an excellent text for physicists and practicing engineers who want to use mid-infrared laser sources in spectroscopy, medicine, remote sensing and other fields, and for researchers in various disciplines requiring a broad introduction to the subject.

Coherent sources of mid-infrared (mid-IR) radiation are of great interest for a wide range of scienti?c and technological applications from spectroscopy and frequency metrology to information technology, industrial process control, pho- chemistry, photobiology and photomedicine. The mid-IR spectrum, which may be de?ned as wavelengths beyond ?2µm, covers important atmospheric windows, and numerous molecular gases, toxic agents, air, water, and soil pollutants, c- ponents of human breath, and several explosive agents have strong absorption ?ngerprints in this region. The development of practical coherent solid-state sources in the mid-IR can thus provide indispensable tools for a variety of - plications in environmental monitoring and pollution control, detection of water and soil contaminants, food quality control, agriculture and life sciences, and n- invasive disease diagnosis and therapy through breath analysis. Coherent mid-IR sources also offer important technologies for atmospheric chemistry, free-space communication, imaging, rapid detection of explosives, chemical and biological agents, nuclear material and narcotics, as well as applications in air- and sea-born safety and security, amongst many. The timely advancement of coherent mid-IR sources is, therefore, vital to future progress in many application areas across a broad range of scienti?c, technological, and industrial disciplines. On the other hand, more than 40 years after the invention of laser, much of the mid-IR spectrum still remains inaccessible to conventional lasers due to fun- mental limitations, most notably a lack of suitable crystalline laser gain materials.

Coherent sources of mid-infrared (mid-IR) radiation are of great interest for a wide range of scienti?c and technological applications from spectroscopy and frequency metrology to information technology, industrial process control, pho- chemistry, photobiology and photomedicine. The mid-IR spectrum, which may be de?ned as wavelengths beyond ?2µm, covers important atmospheric windows, and numerous molecular gases, toxic agents, air, water, and soil pollutants, c- ponents of human breath, and several explosive agents have strong absorption ?ngerprints in this region. The development of practical coherent solid-state sources in the mid-IR can thus provide indispensable tools for a variety of - plications in environmental monitoring and pollution control, detection of water and soil contaminants, food quality control, agriculture and life sciences, and n- invasive disease diagnosis and therapy through breath analysis. Coherent mid-IR sources also offer important technologies for atmospheric chemistry, free-space communication, imaging, rapid detection of explosives, chemical and biological agents, nuclear material and narcotics, as well as applications in air- and sea-born safety and security, amongst many. The timely advancement of coherent mid-IR sources is, therefore, vital to future progress in many application areas across a broad range of scienti?c, technological, and industrial disciplines. On the other hand, more than 40 years after the invention of laser, much of the mid-IR spectrum still remains inaccessible to conventional lasers due to fun- mental limitations, most notably a lack of suitable crystalline laser gain materials.

Coherent sources of mid-infrared (mid-IR) radiation are of great interest for a wide range of scienti?c and technological applications from spectroscopy and frequency metrology to information technology, industrial process control, pho- chemistry, photobiology and photomedicine. The mid-IR spectrum, which may be de?ned as wavelengths beyond ?2µm, covers important atmospheric windows, and numerous molecular gases, toxic agents, air, water, and soil pollutants, c- ponents of human breath, and several explosive agents have strong absorption ?ngerprints in this region. The development of practical coherent solid-state sources in the mid-IR can thus provide indispensable tools for a variety of - plications in environmental monitoring and pollution control, detection of water and soil contaminants, food quality control, agriculture and life sciences, and n- invasive disease diagnosis and therapy through breath analysis. Coherent mid-IR sources also offer important technologies for atmospheric chemistry, free-space communication, imaging, rapid detection of explosives, chemical and biological agents, nuclear material and narcotics, as well as applications in air- and sea-born safety and security, amongst many. The timely advancement of coherent mid-IR sources is, therefore, vital to future progress in many application areas across a broad range of scienti?c, technological, and industrial disciplines. On the other hand, more than 40 years after the invention of laser, much of the mid-IR spectrum still remains inaccessible to conventional lasers due to fun- mental limitations, most notably a lack of suitable crystalline laser gain materials.

The book describes the most advanced techniques for generating coherent light in the mid-infrared region of the spectrum. These techniques represent diverse areas of photonics and include heterojunction semiconductor lasers, quantum cascade lasers, tunable crystalline lasers, fiber lasers, Raman lasers, and optical parametric laser sources. Offering authoritative reviews by internationally recognized experts, the book provides a wealth of information on the essential principles and methods of the generation of coherent mid-infrared light and on some of its applications. The instructive nature of the book makes it an excellent text for physicists and practicing engineers who want to use mid-infrared laser sources in spectroscopy, medicine, remote sensing and other fields, and for researchers in various disciplines requiring a broad introduction to the subject.

The book describes the most advanced techniques for generating coherent light in the mid-infrared region of the spectrum. These techniques represent diverse areas of photonics and include heterojunction semiconductor lasers, quantum cascade lasers, tunable crystalline lasers, fiber lasers, Raman lasers, and optical parametric laser sources. Offering authoritative reviews by internationally recognized experts, the book provides a wealth of information on the essential principles and methods of the generation of coherent mid-infrared light and on some of its applications. The instructive nature of the book makes it an excellent text for physicists and practicing engineers who want to use mid-infrared laser sources in spectroscopy, medicine, remote sensing and other fields, and for researchers in various disciplines requiring a broad introduction to the subject.