Commission 7: Progress in radio electronics

The advances of the past 3 years in the science and technology of quantum electronics are well summarized by the technical programs of the May 1968 International Conference on Quantum Electronics, held in Miami [IEEE, 1968a], and of the May 1969 Conference on Laser Engineering and Applications, held in Washington, D. C. [IEEE, 1969a], The pace of development of new laser devices, new techniques, and new basic quantum electronic phenomena does not seem to be slowing, even though the maser concept has been with us for two decades, and working laser devices for one decade. On the technological side, the development of practical laser applications has obviously reached and passed the take-off point, with new and different practical applications of lasers emerging at a rapid rate in an almost uncountable number of applications areas.