POLYMERIC SOLID-STATE DYE-LASERS

Research News: Solid matrices containing laser dyes have been used to produce practical tunable solid state dye lasers with advantages such as compactness, manageability, lack of toxicity and flammability etc. Polymer matrices have suffered in the past from limited photostability. Recently, polymeric materials with a laser-damage threshold comparable to that of inorganic glasses and crystals have renewed activity in the field. Progress is reviewed.