• 1 Introduction.- 1.1 What is a Coherent Light?.- 1.2 Definition and Characteristics of Coherent Light.- References.- 2 Principles of Laser Oscillation.- 2.1 Cavity.- 2.2 Light Amplification and Laser Oscillation.- 2.3 Formulation of Laser Oscillation.- References.- 3 Structures and Characteristics of Lasers.- 3.1 Gas Lasers.- 3.2 Dye Lasers.- 3.3 Solid State Lasers.- 3.4 Semiconductor Lasers [D].- References.- 4 Noises in Lasers.- 4.1 Definitions of the Statistical Measures of Noise Properties and Measurement Procedures [A, B].- 4.2 Magnitude of Laser Quantum Noise.- 4.3 Additional Noises in Lasers.- References.- 5 Principles and Methods of FM Noise Reduction in Lasers.- 5.1 Principles of FM Noise Reduction.- 5.2 Negative Electrical Feedback Method.- 5.3 Cavity Loss Reduction Method.- 5.4 Inhibition and Enhancement of Spontaneous Emission.- References.- 6 Experiments on FM Noise Reduction.- 6.1 Gas and Dye Lasers.- 6.2 Solid State Lasers.- 6.3 Semiconductor Lasers [8].- References.- 7 Applications of Highly Coherent Lasers.- 7.1 Optical Communication Systems.- 7.2 Optical Measurements.- 7.3 Analytical Spectroscopy.- 7.4 Optical Pumping of Atomic Clocks.- 7.5 Quantum Optics and Basic Physics.- References.- 8 Toward the Future.- 8.1 Expansion of the Frequency Range of Laser Oscillation.- 8.2 Ultra-fast Detection of Lightwaves and Waveform Conversion.- 8.3 Generation of Non-Classical Photons and Their Applications.- 8.4 Control and Manipulation of Atoms and Photons.- 8.5 High Power Laser and Optical Energy Storage.- 8.6 Summary.- References.- Appendix Rate Equations and Relaxation Oscillation.- References.

'... Ohtsu is to be recommended for his enthusiastic attempt to summarize the emerging technology associated with quantum optics in a brief, general manner. ... I recommend this book to anyone from an intermediate-level undergraduate through seasoned researcher who is seeking an introduction to the theory, techniques, and applications of ultrastable lasers.' Optical Engineering, 34:9, September 1995