This book displays the physics and design of high-power molecular lasers. The lasers described are self-controlled volume-discharge lasers. The book explains self-sustained discharge lasers, self-initiated discharge lasers and technical approaches to laser design. Important topics discussed are laser efficiency, laser beam quality and electric field homogeneity. The book contains many new innovative applications.

Autorentext

Prof. Victor Victorovich Apollonov is a doctor of physics and mathematics, professor, academician of RANS and AES and laureate of State prize of USSR (1982) and Russia (2002). He is the leading specialist in the area of basic principles of creation and development of high power/energy laser systems and high power/energy laser radiation interaction with matter. He has made an outstanding input into creation and development of new branches of science - physical and technical fundamentals of high power laser optics and adaptive optics, investigation of physical processes in a high volume self-controlled volume discharges, creation of high power/energy continuous wave, pulsed and high repetition rate pulse-periodic laser systems, high intensity laser radiation interaction with matter, high power/energy laser application for an effective protection of valuable objects and water surface cleaning from oil films, medical applications for UV lasers. Recent results of his investigations related to the laser diode arrays phase-locking, mechanisms of shock waves merging for a rockets launch by high repetition rate pulse-periodic laser light, super long conductive channel based on dust plasma by mechanism of ablation, high repetition rate optical pulsating discharge applications, space debris elimination by laser, scalable mono-module disk laser are under very intensive implementation in our country and abroad. He is the author of more than 1700 publications, books, presentations and patents.(see the Research Gate). Apollonov V.V. is a high profile scientist and well known around all over the world, for more than 45 years of his international scientific activity, he has participated and organized more than 60 international conferences, symposiums and workshops, prepared 32 candidates and doctors of physics and mathematics. For the last 5 years his scientific group has fulfilled more than 60 R and D contracts with customers from Japan, UK, Germany, France, China, Korea, Singapore and USA. He is the General Director of "Energomashtechnika" Ltd. Apollonov V.V. is the member of European and American Physical Society, SPIE, AIAA, American Society for QE and the member of specialized scientific council of Russia. He is a full member of Russian Academy of Natural Science and Academy of Engineering Sciences, laureate of State Prize of USSR (1982) and of Russia (2002).

Inhalt

Introduction.- Traditional approaches for molecular lasers realization.- Self-sustained discharge lasers (dynamic profiling by slow electrons).- Self-initiated discharge lasers (HF/DF based on SF6-methain mixture).- Different technical approaches.- Applications.