高能激光技术进展与面临的挑战

文章分析和比较了几种高能激光器技术发展现状和面临的挑战，以及各自可能适用的范围.特别对二极管抽运固体激光器和光纤激光器的几种束相干合成方法和光束质量评价方法进行了分析和讨论.二极管抽运固体激光器和光纤激光器近十年来异军突起，被人们看作是继化学激光器后的第二代高能激光器.光纤激光器进展要比二极管抽运固体激光器滞后5到10年.对几十万瓦以上的激光器来说，在相当长的时间内仍然要靠化学激光器.

New challenges for high energy laser technology

Recent developments in high energy laser technology and new challenges that have arisen are analyzed. Possible applications for these lasers are reviewed. In particular, the technique of coherent beam combination for diode-pumped solid-state and fiber lasers is discussed, and various beam quality evaluation methods are compared. These lasers have witnessed significant progress in the last decade, and are considered to be the next generation of high energy lasers following chemical lasers. However, fiber laser lags behind solid-state laser technology by five to ten years. Chemical lasers will still be the mainstay for output powers in the hundred kilowatt range for a long time to come.