Abstract
A general outline of new applications of lasers in polymer photochemistry is given. The fields covered include the kinetic and mechanistic study of various elementary processes (in solution model compounds) by laser spectroscopies and the extension of this approach to practical systems (solids or in polymerization samples, thin films) by holographic techniques or real-time infrared spectroscopy. Stress is laid on the great importance of laser techniques in understanding the fundamental aspects of the processes involved in polymer photochemistry.