Organic Dyes in Laser Technology

Laser technology has been developed to a very high level since 1960. Significant advances have been made possible only by the use of organic dyes as optical shutters for the production of giant pulses. Ultrashort pulses in the picosecond range were first produced in 1966; their measurement was greatly facilitated by the use of organic dyes. Probably the most important recent advance in the laser field is the dye laser, which was first described in 1966, and in which the active medium is a solution of an organic dye.