ABSTRACT
Thin films of dielectric materials are important for many appplications of current laser systems. Fiber optics are used as wave guides. The single fiber is a double tapered single crystalline quartz fiber with an entrance and exit of 3 to 4 mm and a so-called waist diameter of 0.3 mm. This type of structure transmits the laser better than the conventional fiber light bundle. An interesting wave guide, again especially for communications, is the new miniaturized wave guide gas laser described by Smith. As the diameter of the discharge tube in a gas laser is decreased, the gain is increased light "guided" in this tiny tube and it can be amplified at a much higher level than usual by a gas discharge. Fiber optics have shown a continued progressive development and much of its progress is due to its uses in the transmission of the laser beam.
