History and Future of Laser Technology The “Century of the Photon” began in 1960 with the invention of a unique light source, the laser. With advancements in higher power, narrower color, shorter wavelength, or higher quality, the usefulness of light as a probe has increased. From gamma rays to megawatts to attoseconds, this session will explore the latest development in optical techniques to produce a unique state-of-light. Each of the laser-based tools to be covered extends the utility of the photon as a probe of the fundamental properties of the universe and represents the current state-of-the-art in developing the next generation of measurement tools and techniques. Topics include the generation light at the extremes of intensity, photon energy, pulse duration, brightness, and power as well as new applications. The generation of tunable gamma ray photons enables the direct study of nuclear transitions. Phase locking of broadband light sources generates light of attosecond durations, allowing snapshots of the electronic states of matter. High-intensity radiation can induce nonlinear optical effects in vacuum. High-intensity light generates a wake field that can drive electrons to the terra-electron-volt (TeV) energy scale. Finally, new tools may lead to optical probing of the weakest of the forces, gravity.