This paper briefly reviews some of the concepts involved in optical coherence, and discusses selected applications where the laser has either led to dramatic improvements or it has made something feasible for the first time. Implications as to noise and optical receivers, improvements in remote monitoring and distance measurement, and new capabilities in data processing are some of the topics discussed in connection with the use of lasers. The references represent a fairly comprehensive and worthwhile reading list for those who are interested in gathering additional information on the whole field of lasers as well as just coherence.

Date Published: 18 January 1977
PDF: 6 pages
Proc. SPIE 0092, Practical Applications of Low Power Lasers, (18 January 1977); doi: 10.1117/12.955093

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 0092:
Practical Applications of Low Power Lasers
Jay S. Chivian; Dayton D. Eden, Editor(s)