48巻 (2020) 2 号.pdf

The Laser Society has made significant progress, and its annual conference now features many parallel sessions, making it difficult to decide which ones to attend. However, the proportion of presentations on laser light sources themselves has decreased, indicating that laser technology has expanded widely. In the past, the development of laser light sources was actively pursued by universities, national research institutes, and companies, and many presentations were made at conferences. However, over time, the proportion of presentations on laser applications has increased, and sessions on laser light sources are no longer as prominent.

Recently, international conferences such as the Laser Congress and Photonics West have shown that research and development on laser light sources are still active globally. In contrast, the activity of laser development in Japan seems to have decreased. The price of laser equipment has decreased, and the reliability has improved, but this has led to the decline of the domestic laser industry.

The author notes that the opportunity to experience the adjustment of laser resonators and the excitement of laser oscillation is decreasing, and the number of laser specialists who can adjust spatial optical systems is dwindling. The author hears concerns about the lack of transmission of laser technology and the difficulty of finding skilled laser technicians.

The author believes that this is an opportunity for companies and technicians with core competence in laser technology to thrive and calls for more collaboration between the Laser Society, industry, and education to revitalize the field. The author emphasizes that the pursuit of new light source forms and unknown concepts requires manual effort and experimentation, as seen in the early days of laser development.