Coherent light brightens the quantum science frontier

Abstract

The laser was invented about 60 years ago1-30 years after the founding of Reviews of Modern Physics. That novel light source opened up new windows to the natural world and transformed our understanding of many areas of science. Today, the ability to control every aspect of light-phase, spectrum, waveform, pulse duration, polarization, and individual photons-can be used to coherently probe and manipulate quantum systems.