The word "laser" is a literal translation of "LASER". LASER was originally a special term composed of the initials of Light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation. In my country, it has been translated into "Laser", "Light Laser", "Light Stimulated Emission Amplifier", etc. In 1964, Academician Qian Xuesen proposed the name "laser", which not only reflects the scientific connotation of "stimulated emission", but also shows that it is a very strong new light source. It is appropriate, vivid and concise, and has been unanimously recognized and used by the scientific community in my country.
Since the successful development of China's first laser in 1961, with the joint efforts of laser scientific research, teaching, production and use units across the country, my country has formed a laser technology field with complete categories, advanced level and wide application, and has made gratifying progress in industrialization, making positive contributions to my country's science and technology, national economy and national defense construction, and has also won a place in the international arena.
In 1957, Wang Daheng and others established the first professional optical research institute in my country in Changchun, the Institute of Optics, Precision Instruments and Mechanics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Changchun) (abbreviated as "IOM"). Under the leadership of the older generation of experts, a group of young scientific and technological workers grew up rapidly, and Deng Ximing was a prominent representative among them. As early as 1958, shortly after the famous paper on the principle of laser by American physicists Schawlow and Townes was published, he actively advocated the development of this new technology, and in a short period of time, he gathered a team of young and middle-aged researchers with innovative spirits and put forward a large number of ideas and experimental schemes to improve the brightness, unit color and coherence of light sources. In 1960, the world's first laser was launched. In the summer of 1961, under the leadership of Wang Zhijiang, my country's first ruby ​​laser was successfully developed. In the following few years, laser technology developed rapidly and produced a number of advanced achievements. Various types of solid, gas, semiconductor and chemical lasers were successfully developed. In basic research and key technologies, a series of new concepts, methods and technologies (such as cavity Q mutation and mirror Q modulation, traveling wave amplification, the use of rhenium ions, free electron oscillation radiation, etc.) have been proposed and implemented, many of which are original.
At the same time, as a new light source with excellent characteristics such as high brightness, high directivity and high quality, lasers were quickly applied to various technical fields, showing strong vitality and competitiveness. In terms of communications, in September 1964, lasers were used to demonstrate the transmission of television images, and in November 1964, 3-30 km calls were achieved. In terms of industry, in May 1965, laser punching machines were successfully used in the production of wire drawing die punching, achieving significant economic benefits. In medicine, in June 1965, laser retinal welders were tested on animals and clinically. In terms of national defense, in December 1965, a laser diffuse reflection rangefinder (with an accuracy of 10 meters/10 kilometers) was successfully developed, and in April 1966, a remote-controlled pulse laser Doppler velocimeter was developed.


The "6403" high-energy neodymium glass laser system launched in 1964, the high-power laser system and nuclear fusion research started in 1965, and the development of 15 types of military laser machines formulated in 1966, due to their comprehensiveness and high difficulty, have effectively driven and promoted the development of laser technology in China. Although my country's laser science and technology industry also suffered the catastrophe of the "Cultural Revolution", it still survived with difficulty and made valuable progress with the support of key projects.
1 The "6403" high-energy neodymium glass laser system was launched in 1964. Finally, it was determined from a technical point of view that thermal effect was a fundamental technical obstacle and was discontinued in 1976. The historical contribution of this project to the development of high-energy laser technology cannot be ignored. It has brought my country's laser technology to a higher level. Its achievements are mainly manifested in:
(1) A large-caliber (120 mm) oscillation-amplification laser system with engineering scale was built, with a maximum output energy of 320,000 joules; after improving the beam quality, it reached 30,000 joules.
(2) The system technology integration was achieved, and the target shooting experiment was successfully carried out. The 80 mm aluminum target was penetrated at 10 meters indoors and the 0.2 mm aluminum target was penetrated at 2 kilometers outdoors. The biological effects and material damage mechanism of strong laser radiation were systematically studied.
(3) For the first time, the phenomenon and mechanism of light damage to the laser system itself by strong light were revealed.
(4) For the first time, the importance and physical connotation of laser beam quality were deeply understood, and a series of innovative technologies to improve beam quality were adopted, such as 10,000 joule-level unstable cavity lasers, sheet lasers, oscillation-scanning amplification laser systems, and wedge beam quality diagnosis.
(5) Laser components and supporting technologies have made breakthrough improvements, such as low-absorption and high-uniformity neodymium glass melting process, high-energy pulsed xenon, high-strength dielectric film, large-caliber (1.2 meters) optical precision processing, etc.
(6) A group of technical backbone teams were cultivated and trained.
1. High-power laser system and nuclear fusion research In 1964, Wang Ganchang independently proposed the laser fusion initiative, and the project was established in 1965 to start research. After several years of hard work, a nanosecond laser device with an output power of 10 (superscript 10) watts was built, and in May 1973, neutrons were first produced on low-temperature solid deuterium targets, room-temperature lithium deuteride targets, and deuterated polyethylene. In 1974, my country's first multi-pass chip amplifier was successfully developed, which increased the laser output power by 10 times and the neutron yield by an order of magnitude. After the international centripetal compression principle was deciphered, we actively followed up and developed a six-beam laser system in 1976, irradiating the gas-filled glass shell target and achieving nearly 100 times of volume compression. This series of major breakthroughs has enabled my country's laser fusion research to enter the world's advanced ranks and laid the foundation for long-term sustainable development in the future.
2. Military laser research In December 1966, the National Defense Science and Technology Commission hosted a military laser planning meeting, attended by more than 130 people from 48 units. The meeting formulated a development plan including 15 types of laser complete machines and 9 supporting technologies. Although it was not officially approved, it still played a beneficial role in promoting the development. In the following years, a number of important achievements emerged in this field. For example:
(1) The initial test of the target range laser distance technology was successful: using a YAG Q-switched laser with a repetition frequency of 20 Hz, the ranging accuracy was better than 2 meters, and the maximum measurement distance was 660 kilometers. When added to the theodolite, it can achieve single-station orbit determination of the flying target. This achievement has created the necessary conditions for the subsequent completion of the trajectory measurement of the reentry phase of the intercontinental missile.
(2) Ruby laser satellite ranging: successfully measured the US experimental satellites Expl-27, 29 and 36, with the maximum measurable distance of 2,300 kilometers and an accuracy of about 2 meters. This is the first generation of artificial satellite ranging results, laying the foundation for the future artificial satellite ranging at longer distances and higher precision.
(3) Ruby laser radar and airborne infrared laser radar, for the first time realized the ground-to-air and air-to-air tracking and ranging of aircraft.
(4) Laser aerial survey instrument: Combining laser rangefinder and aerial camera, the aircraft carries out ground survey to complete the mapping of remote areas and other complex terrain. The repetition rate is 6 times/minute, and the ranging accuracy is 1 meter.
(5) Ground cannon laser rangefinder: It can independently complete the functions of observation, ranging, angle measurement (direction and elevation angle) and magnetic needle orientation. The ranging range is 300-10,000 meters, and the accuracy is 5 meters. In terms of laser applications, Nd:YAG laser communication (3-12 channels), He-Ne laser communication, and single/three-channel semiconductor laser communication have been successful in communication tests; medical equipment such as Nd:YAG laser scalpels, CO2 laser scalpels, and laser iridectomy instruments have also been put into use; laser holography, the application of laser holography in plane photoelasticity, pulsed laser dynamic holography, and Raman spectrophotometers have become new means of metrology science; CNC laser cutting machines, laser collimators, laser separation of isotopic sulfur, liquid lasers for agricultural research, and large-screen navigation displays have also been applied in industry and agriculture. At the National Science Conference held in March 1978, nearly 80 laser projects were awarded, including about 70 civilian products and about 10 military products, which comprehensively reflected the achievements of my country's laser technology development during this period.
Since the reform and opening up, laser technology has gained unprecedented development opportunities. Over the past 20 years, laser science and technology has made unprecedented progress, facing applications, the world and the future, and a number of internationally advanced achievements have emerged, laying a solid foundation for the 21st century.
In May 1980, the first international laser conference was held in Shanghai and Beijing, with 218 delegates (66 from abroad) and 113 reports (65 from abroad). Comrade Deng Xiaoping cordially received the Chinese and foreign delegates. The second and third international conferences were held in Guangzhou in 1983 and Xiamen in 1986, changing the situation of closed operation of laser technology in my country for many years and starting to go global. A large number of young scientific and technological talents went abroad for further studies, and a considerable number of outstanding talents returned to China after completing their studies.
In order to form a high-level research and development center, the scientific research team and layout were actively adjusted, and a number of national key laboratories, open laboratories, national engineering research centers and industry-university-research organizations were established. With internationally advanced instruments and facilities, high-level scientific and technological talents, and a relatively flexible operating mechanism, it is playing an important role in the transformation of laser scientific and technological achievements, the creation of independent intellectual property rights and the promotion of laser technology industrialization.
Laser technology has been given importance in many national strategic science and technology plans. Among the seven major fields of the "863" plan, there are laser technology and optoelectronic technology (including laser technology used in the information field), and in 1995, the theme of "inertial confinement fusion" was added. The defense pre-research on optoelectronic technology was officially established as a cross-departmental project, which also includes laser technology. Laser technology was listed as a major project in the national "Sixth Five-Year Plan" and "Seventh Five-Year Plan". In addition, the National Natural Science Foundation funded an average of 27.6 laser projects per year from 1986 to 1998. These state-supported plans have been fully demonstrated and strictly selected, and are of great significance to the national economy and national defense construction. Many laser research units have also taken the initiative to reform their organizational systems and operating mechanisms, facing the market, encouraging innovation, and vigorously promoting the transformation of scientific and technological achievements into commodities, and have achieved gratifying results.

1. Distance measurement and satellite measurement A new generation of practical distance measurement systems has been put into use and completed the scheduled important tasks. Among them, the 718 and G-179 laser film theodolites were put into use and successfully completed the tasks; the first full laser tracking and ranging radar field test was successful; the first practical infrared laser radar (G-168) was designed and finalized and handed over to users; tactical military laser rangefinders (artillery, tank, handheld) were mass-produced. The third-generation artificial satellite laser ranging system was built and put into use and reached international standards. The ranging accuracy of the first-generation ruby ​​SLR system is meter-level, the accuracy of the second-generation YAG Q-switched laser is decimeter-level, and the accuracy of the third-generation mode-locked laser plus microcomputer system is centimeter-level at a distance greater than 8,000 kilometers. Stations have been established in Shanghai, Wuhan, Changchun, Beijing, etc., forming the China Network, and data participates in international exchanges.
2. Inertial confinement fusion (ICF) laser driver - "Shenguang" series Under the guidance of Wang Ganchang and Wang Daheng, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the China Academy of Engineering Physics began to jointly tackle key problems in the 1980s, undertook the development of the "Shenguang" series laser system and ICF physical experiments, and achieved internationally renowned achievements. Among them, the "Shenguang-I" laser device was built in 1986, with an output power of 2 trillion watts, reaching the advanced level of similar international devices. "Shenguang-I" has been in operation for 8 consecutive years, and has achieved a number of world-class physical results in cutting-edge fields such as ICF and X-ray lasers. In the 1990s, the "Shenguang-II" device with a scale four times larger and more advanced performance was developed and is about to be put into operation. In 1995, ICF was approved as a project in the "863 Plan" and began to develop a cross-century giant laser driver - the "Shenguang-III" device. The overall design and key technology research have achieved a series of high-level results.
3. New lasers Two high-power continuous-wave chemical lasers, the 3.8-micron fluorine deuterium laser (DF) and the 1.315-micron short-wavelength oxygen-iodine laser (COIL), have made breakthroughs, with power and beam quality second only to the United States, reaching the current international level. In terms of X-ray lasers, the collision mechanism of neon-germanium soft X-ray lasers (wavelengths of 23.2 nanometers and 23.6 nanometers) have achieved gain saturation and have a beam quality close to the diffraction limit, ranking at the international leading level; the research on compound-pumped X-ray lasers has obtained a series of new spectral lines reported for the first time in the world, and has advanced to a short wavelength of 4.68 nanometers. Free electron lasers and multi-wavelength tunable lasers have also made gratifying progress.
4. Chinese-brand new crystals go global my country's BBO, LBO crystals, as well as KTP, titanium sapphire and other crystals invented by China enjoy a high reputation in the international market for their excellent quality and occupy a certain share.
Although the prototype of the laser industry had appeared in processing (laser drilling), medical equipment and distance measurement as early as the 1960s, it was only sporadic and scattered small-scale research and development production at that time, and failed to form a climate. It was not until the reform and opening up that China really received attention and started substantially, especially under the policy orientation of "developing high technology and realizing industrialization", that my country had a real laser industry.
In January 1987, the China Optical Industry Association was established, and later renamed the China Optical and Optoelectronic Industry Association, which has a laser branch. According to the industry association's survey statistics on the status of my country's laser industry in 1998, there are about 100 major laser product production units in the country, with 6,400 employees and an average sales of 125,000 yuan per person, mainly distributed in Hubei, Beijing and Shanghai. my country's laser industry increased from 100 million yuan in 1988 to 800 million yuan in 1998, with an average annual growth of 22.3%, and the total sales in 10 years reached 4.12 billion yuan. In 1998, exports reached 11.2 million US dollars, accounting for 11.6% of the total value.