The conference "Laser Science and Technology" was held May 11-19, 1987
in Erice, Sicily. This was the 12th conference organized by the
Internatio- nal School of Quantum Electronics, under the auspices of the
"Ettore Majorana" Center for Scientific Culture. This volume contains
both the in- vited and contributed papers presented at the conference,
covering current research work in two areas: new laser sources, and
laser applications. The operation of the first laser by Dr. Theodore
Maiman in 1960 initia- ted a decade of scientific exploration of new
laser sources. This was fol- lowed by the decade of the 1970s, which was
characterized by "technology push" in which the discoveries of the 1960s
were seeking practical applica- tion. In the 1980s we are instead
seeking "applications pull," in which the success and rapid maturing of
laser applications provides both inspiration and financial resources to
stimulate additional work both on laser sources and applications. The
papers presented in these Proceedings attest to the great vitali- ty of
research in both these areas: New Laser Sources. The papers describe
current developments in ultra- violet excimer lasers, X-ray lasers, and
free electron lasers. These new lasers share several characteristics:
each is a potentially important coher- ent source; each is at a
relatively short wavelength (below 1 micrometer); and each is receiving
significant development attention today.
