High power laser systems play a crucial role in modern society, with an ever-increasing number of applications, covering industrial manufacturing, space exploration, high energy physics, and defence. Since the invention of the laser, researchers have been increasing the power (or energy) of lasers by exploring new materials and technologies. Many applications including laser processing, inertial confinement fusion, space debris detection, and imaging radar rely on efficient laser emission, amplification, frequency conversion, and detection. Correspondingly, the applications of lasers also provide a research direction for the development of high power laser technology.

At present, some new laser and nonlinear materials, new types of laser modulation technology and devices, as well as new nonlinear optical materials have brought new vitality to the improvement of laser power. This also provides the possibility for some new applications of such laser systems. For this reason, high power laser technology and applications are a continuous hot topic in today’s science and are rapidly advancing into new areas of discovery.

This Special Issue aims to publish experimental and theoretical results as well as concise reviews related to the field of high power lasers.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• High power laser systems
• Novel photonic devices
• Laser materials
• Nonlinear optical materials
• Laser amplifier
• Nonlinear frequency conversion
• Raman laser
• Brillouin laser
• Laser processing and manufacturing
• Stimulated scattering
• Beam combination
• Beam cleanup
• Laser modulation technology