ABSTRACT
The laser has become an invaluable tool for mankind. The ubiquitous presence of lasers in our lives is evident from their use in such diverse applications as science and engineering, communications, medicine, manufacturing and materials processing, art and entertainment, data processing, environmental sensing, defense, energy, astronomy, and metrology. It is difficult to imagine state-of-the-art physics, chemistry, biology, and medicine research with-out the use of radiation from various laser systems.
