Special effects: The field of nonlinear optics has revolutionized the applications of laser light. New developments may make nonlinear devices commonplace

摘要

After decades of painstaking development, the first commercial applications of nonlinear optics are now mature technologies. Systems based on second-harmonic generation, frequency tripling and quadrupling, and even parametric amplification are priced competitively. Research efforts in other areas, some ongoing since the early days of laser development, remain intense. Two areas that have evolved in a manner not predicted in their early history are optical bistability and optical phase conjugation.