4. Conclusion

A product of the most fundamental research, the laser was initially seen as the answer to a problem that didn't exist. None of the applications of today's lasers had been researched, or even imagined, by those who contributed to their development. The massive use of lasers in many different fields is a striking example of an invention, almost a curiosity, which has not only found its place in a wide range of societal issues, but has also steered the course of technological development. Numerous disciplines and fields of study have emerged, triggered by the irruption of this very special tool. Despite its respectable age, the laser continues to be an object of fascination and an active subject of research. Some see ever-new fields of application, particularly on two fronts: quantum physics and its envisaged applications around the transmission and manipulation of quantum information (quantum...