Description

While preparing the manuscript ofthis book, the author was informed that Profs. H. Dehmelt, Univ. ofWashington, W. Paul, Univ. Bonn and N. F. Ramsey, HarvardUniv. havewontheNobel PrizeinPhysics(1989;fortheirNobellectures, refertoRev.ModernPhysics, Vol.62(l990)pp.525-552).Theirmaincontributions are the pioneering works on the Ramsey resonance method, ion trap, and so on, which are the main topics to be discussed in this book. TherearetwoothergroupspreviouslyawardedwiththeNobelprizeinPhysics for their contributions to laser physics and quantum optics; C. H. Townes, N. G. Basov, and A. M. Prokhorov were awarded a Nobel prize for their works on the inventionofmasers and lasers as well as the basic studiesofquantum electronics; N. Bloembergen and A. L. Schawlow, in 1981, for their works on laser spectros- copy. It is an exceptional case that a branch ofphysics could win the Nobel prize threetimes.Thisfactreflectsandimpliesthatlaserphysicsandphysicsusinglasers are important fields ofbasic study, which relate closely to the quantum optics and atomicphysics. Furthermore, asthecaseofsemiconductorlasers, ithasbecomean importantfield for industrial applications, e.g., opticalcommunicationand optical diskmemories. As shownbythese examples, itcan beconsideredthatthe studyof laser isauniversaloneinscienceandtechnology, coveringawide rangefrombasic physics to industrial applications.