ThisbookiSmotivatedbytheveryfavorablereceptiong~ventothepreviouseditionsaswellasbvtheconsiderablerangeofnewdevelopmentsinthelaserfieldsincethepublicationoflhethirdeditionin1989.Thesenewdevelopmentsinclude,amongothers,Quantum-WellandMultiple.QuantumWelllasers.diode—pumpedsolid—statelasers,newconceptsfofbothstableandunstableresonators,femtosecondlasers,ultra·high—brightnesslasersetc.Thebasicaimofthebookhasremainedthesame,namelytoprovideabroadandunifieddescriptionoflaserbehavioratthesimplestlevelwhichiscompatiblewithacorrectphysicalunderstanding.ThebookiSthereforeintendedasatext-bookforasenior-levelorfirst—yeargraduatecourseand/orasareferencebook.