Special Section Guest Editorial: High-Energy Laser Systems and Components

John R. Albertine

doi:10.1117/1.OE.52.2.021001

29 November 2012 Special Section Guest Editorial: High-Energy Laser Systems and Components

John R. Albertine

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Optical Engineering, Vol. 52, Issue 2, 021001 (November 2012). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.OE.52.2.021001

Abstract

Almost every adult today holds some concept of a laser weapon and many children have at least one toy laser among their possessions. Fascination with these ideas reaches as far back as Archimedes' legendary defense of Syracuse with solar reflectors in 212 BC. Other examples include the Martian invaders of Earth who used "heat rays" with chilling efficiency in H. G. Well's 1898 War of the Worlds and the now-classic Star Wars movie series. While most fictional depictions of laser weapons (and some news stories) are without sound basis, these devices do offer the potential for a whole new class of weapons and capabilities that complement (but do not replace) existing kinetic energy weapons and electronic warfare.

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John R. Albertine "Special Section Guest Editorial: High-Energy Laser Systems and Components," Optical Engineering 52(2), 021001 (29 November 2012). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.OE.52.2.021001

Published: 29 November 2012

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