The idea of converting an electron linear collider into a photon–photon collider through the addition of high power lasers was put forward in the early 1980s. Progress in the field of high average power, short pulse lasers has brought the state of the art within striking range of what would be required to realize a photon collider. In parallel, the necessary modifications to the detector and accelerator to enable a photon collider have been laid out. The basic concept of the photon collider, the requirements for the laser, and the detector and accelerator impact are reviewed in this article.
The Application of Cryogenic Laser Physics to the Development of High Average Power Ultra-Short Pulse Lasers