Evolution to Revolution:

1
Evolution to Revolution From Nanoparticles to
High Power Ceramic Lasers S.C. Rand, Division of
Applied Physics, University of Michigan

• I. Introduction
• Progress in nanoparticle synthesis
• Hatch, Ikesue, Yanagitani, Laine (UM)
• Transparent (nano- and micro-structured)
  ceramic processing
• 7-step self-energy approach (Japanese)
• 3-step low temperature vacuum sintering (Laine)
• II. Novel experimental results in
  nano-ceramics
• New crystal phases for conventional bulk
  materials
• Cw, electrically-pumped, random laser action
  storage of light
• Bistable blackbody emission
• Quantum size effects in nanodielectrics size
  effects in bulk ceramics?
• Tunable ceramic lasers, multi-functional
  ceramic optics
• III. Summary
• New laser media, large apertures/lengths, low
  cost, multi-functional (one-
• piece) optical devices, controlled
  gain/absorption profiles, reduced lensing,
• reduced birefringence, engineerable bandwidth for
  short pulse generation,
• quantum properties in bulk materials