Abstract

Today laser optics is standing on the threshold of new physics frontiers. Until recently, traditional optics and nonlinear optics have addressed phenomena in the eV regime, focusing essentially on the study of the atomic structure of matter. It is today possible to produce intensities in the range of 10¹⁸–10²² W/cm², that is 10⁴–10⁶ higher than was possible only few years ago. These intensities could even reach in the future values as high as 10²⁹ W/cm². These gargantuan intensities could make possible the exploration of much deeper strata of the structure of matter. Photon-photon colliders or γγ colliders. which are planned on all linear colliders, are excellent examples. They will be implemented to look at the properties of the Higgs boson(s), supersymmetric particle production and physics beyond the Standard Model.

© 2002 Optical Society of America