1916 -- Albert Einstein postulated the stimulated emission process

1960 -- Theodore H. Maiman constructed the first optical maser using a rod of ruby as the lasing medium.

1962 -- Breech and Cross used ruby laser to vaporize and excite atoms from a solid surface.

1965 -- Smith and Turner used ruby laser to deposit thin films.
(This marked the very beginning of the development of the pulsed laser deposition technique.)

Early 1980’s -- marked t he creation of the first technological installations for laser deposition and epitaxy. A few research groups (mostly in the former USSR) achieved remarkable results on manufacturing of thin-film structures using laser technology.

1987 -- PLD used successfully to grow high-temperature Tc superconducting films

Late 1980’s -- Pulsed laser deposition as a film growth technique attained reputed fame and attracted wide spread interest

PLD employed to fabricate crystalline thin films with epitaxy quality.

Ceramic oxide, nitride films, metallic multilayers, and various superlattices grown by PLD have been demonstrated
1990’s -- brought rapid development of laser technology, which made PLD more competitive.
Lasers having a higher repetition rate than the early ruby lasers made the thin film growth possible.

Subsequently, reliable electronic Q-switches laser became available for generation of very short optical pulses. For this reason PLD can be used to achieve congruent evaporation of the target and to deposit stoichiometric thin films.

Subsequent development led to laser with a high efficient harmonic generator and excimer lasers delivering UV radiation. From then on, non-thermal laser ablation of the target material became highly efficient.

Using PLD to synthesis buckminster fullerness and nanopowers have also been reported.
2000's -- Production-related issues concerning reproducibility, large-area scale-up and multiple-level have begun to be addressed. . It may start up another era of thin film fabrication in industry.