Lasers in Materials Science

The use of laser science and technology in the development of materials has made significant progress due to the flexibility of control of the beam's interaction, with regard to wavelength, energy-density and interaction time, and the wide choice of interaction environments. It is difficult to think of any field of science where lasers have not left their mark in improving material properties and behaviour, or in widening material applications. Lasers have not been slow to find important uses in fields ranging from defence to medical science. Many of these aspects are discussed in this volume, by experts in the relevant field.