Future developments in laser technology and their applications

One of the many areas in which lasers are beginning to play an important role is that of chemistry. One application of great significance is the use of low average power tunable lasers as an analytical tool to measure or study reaction kinetics and products. The other application of equal or greater importance is the use of high average power tunable lasers as a manipulative tool to control or drive chemical reactions in industrial processes. Here the cost of photons is the most important factor and a new device called the 'Free Electron Laser' is under development which promises to reduce the photon cost to less than one dollar per pound of material, thus including a wide range of industrial products.