Optical beams are electromagnetic waves that remain essentially concentrated around a mean axis upon free propagation or that are guided by suitable structures. The study of these beams has existed long ago and since then this field has been a focus of active investigation. However, in recent years, the interest on optical beams has further increased, due to the availability of many types of laser sources, characterized by very different properties, as far as their polarization, coherence, spectral content, and spatial distribution are concerned.This book contains lectures presented in the 35th International School of Quantum Electronics at the Ettore Majorana Centre in Erice, Sicily. It gives the latest coverage on the development and advance in “Free and Guided Optical Beams”. The purpose of these lectures was to give an updated overview, as complete as possible, on topics concerning the propagation of light beams in free space, in materials, and in guiding structures, and to provide the tools needed to its study, both from the theoretical and the application point of view.The lectures presented here are written in extended review-like format. Both introductory fundamental topics and recent research results are reviewed, making this an indispensible book for novice as well as experts in this field.The proceedings have been selected for coverage in:• Index to Scientific & Technical Proceedings® (ISTP® / ISI Proceedings)• Index to Scientific & Technical Proceedings (ISTP CDROM version / ISI Proceedings)• CC Proceedings — Engineering & Physical Sciences

This book presents the recent advances in spectroscopy and theoretical modeling relevant to the interpretation of luminescence and laser phenomena in solid state materials. The available solid state matrices in crystalline and glassy states and the full range of activaters-transition metal ions, rare earth ions and actinides are considered here. Processes of activator excitation, energy transfer between activators and relaxation of excited states are particularly stressed.

First multi-year cumulation covers six years: 1965-70.

The main fields represented at this school are: laser physics, gas lasers, laser applications in materials processing and microelectronics, non-linear and fiber optics, remote laser atmospheric sounding and laser spectroscopy.

The recent developement of high power lasers, delivering femtosecond pulses of 20 2 intensities up to 10 W/cm , has led to the discovery of new phenomena in laser interactions with matter. At these enormous laser intensities, atoms, and molecules are exposed to extreme conditions and new phenomena occur, such as the very rapid multi photon ionization of atomic systems, the emission by these systems of very high order harmonics of the exciting laser light, the Coulomb explosion of molecules, and the acceleration of electrons close to the velocity of light. These phenomena generate new behaviour of bulk matter in intense laser fields, with great potential for wide ranging applications which include the study of ultra-fast processes, the development of high-frequency lasers, and the investigation of the properties of plasmas and condensed matter under extreme conditions of temperature and pressure. In particular, the concept of the "fast ignitor" approach to inertial confinement fusion (ICF) has been proposed, which is based on the separation of the compression and the ignition phases in laser-driven ICF. The aim of this course on "Atom, Solids and Plasmas in Super-Intense Laser fields" was to bring together senior researchers and students in atomic and molecular physics, laser physics, condensed matter and plasma physics, in order to review recent developments in high-intensity laser-matter interactions. The course was held at the Ettore Majorana International Centre for Scientific Culture in Erice from July 8 to July 14,2000.