International Conference of Laser Applications

The conference, known in short by Lasers 'XX[1][2][3] (where XX refers to the particular year), was held at various locations in The United States from 1978 to 2000.

A particular feature of these conferences was the organization of high-power panel discussions on timely topics of interest, such as the role of lasers in directed energy and the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), during the presidency of Ronald Reagan.

[7][8] Noted physicists, including Edward Teller and Arthur Kantrowitz, participated in these discussions.

Towards the end of the Cold War this conference enjoyed the participation of numerous Soviet laser physicists, including prominent authors such as Alexander Prokhorov and Nikolay Basov.

A partial list of plenary and invited speakers include (in chronological order): Besides the emphasis on high-power lasers and panel discussions on this subject, many scientific disclosures made at these conferences went on to contribute to, or to inspire, further research in a variety of fields including: From Lasers '88 to Lasers '96, the prestigious Einstein Prize for Laser Science was awarded.