Science and Technolog Createdby Ultra-Short, Ultra-High-Peak Power Lasers, 2007

The current advancements in laser technology have made possible the development of table-top laser systems supporting multi-terawatt power levels. This progress has opened up the way to investigate and exploit a wide range of high field interaction studies at high focused intensities on the order of 1020 W/cm2 by using small-scale laboratory systems. This book covers the state of the art of the science and technology created by ultra-short, ultra-high-peak power lasers. This might be viewed as a natural reflection of the growing status of high power lasers and their applications to high field interaction studies. The size of these fields continues to expand, new areas of research and technology are emerging, and the field is growing in depth and breadth ranging from basic science to increasingly sophisticated industrial applications. The articles in this book have been written by leading professionals and provide the scientific community with a vital documentation of the newest and most exciting contemporary results and research directions.