Advances enabled by Ytterbium: from advanced laser technology to breakthrough applications

Diode-pumped ytterbium-based lasers have dramatically expanded the application space of lasers. From extremely high average power disk and fiber lasers to the production of ultrashort pulses, these light sources have enabled a myriad of new applications, from fast laser material processing to improved time-resolved spectroscopy techniques among many others. This Special Topic aims to offer an overview of the progress in source development based on Yb-doped materials and many of the exciting applications they have enabled.

Guest Editors: Brendan A. Reagan and Federico J. Furch.