The three volumes VIII/1A, B, C document the state of the art of “Laser Physics and Appli- tions”. Scienti?c trends and related technological aspects are considered by compiling results and conclusions from phenomenology, observation and experiments. Reliable data, physical fundam- tals and detailed references are presented. Intherecentdecadesthelasersourcematuredtoanuniversaltoolcommontoscienti?cresearch as well as to industrial use. Today the technical goal is the generation of optical power towards shorter wavelengths, shorter pulses, higher e?ciency and higher power for applications in science and industry. Tailoring the optical energy in wavelength, space and time is a requirement for the investigation of laser-induced processes, i. e. excitation, non-linear ampli?cation, storage of optical energy, etc. According to the actual trends in laser research and development, Vol. VIII/1 is split into three parts: Vol. VIII/1A with its two subvolumes 1A1 and 1A2 covers laser fundamentals, Vol. VIII/1Bwithitsthreesubvolumes1B1,1B2and1B3dealswithlasersystemsandVol. VIII/1C gives an overview on laser applications. In Vol. VIII/1B2 the following topics are treated in detail: Part 4: Solid-state lasers In four sections, the physical and engineering aspects of di?erent solid-state lasers and laser active materials are presented. Solid-state lasers matured to versatile instruments applied for high-power industrial applications, enabling display technique providing the basic colors, becoming tools in medical surgery and dentistry, as well as entering scienti?c approaches for diagnosis of chemical reactions on the femto-second time scale.
