ABSTRACT
Significant developments in filter materials technology have occurred since the publication of Volume IV of the Handbook of Laser Science and Technology. Many of the topics, such as sol-gel materials synthesis, photorefractive effects, and optical bistability are not usually associated with laser filters per se. Developments in spectroscopy and applications of optically active molecules incorporated into sol-gel materials have been reviewed by R. Reisfeld. Applications reviewed include the incorporation of a variety of organic dyes useful as laser hosts, preparation of saturable absorbers, and as fluorescence frequency converters. Whereas studies on the effects of radiation on optical materials continue being conducted, there are an increasing number of reports of applications of radiation-induced effects as optical filters. A comprehensive recent review of fluorescence conversion technology is given by M. Levin and A. Cherkasov. Although a wide variety of organic dyes continue to be reported as fluorescence converters, their practical utility continues to be hindered by decomposition under pump light illumination.
