WASHINGTON, May 27 -- The Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics/Quantum Electronics and Laser Science Conference (CLEO/QELS) 2003 will feature breakthroughs in medical imaging, homeland security technology and many other areas, introducing the laser technologies of the future and the applications of today. With a distinguished history as the conference where the laser itself was launched, the meeting is jointly sponsored by the Optical Society of America (OSA), the American Physical Society (APS), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers/Lasers and Electro-Optics Society (IEEE/LEOS). It will take place June 1-6 at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Md. By combining a dynamic technical program of new, leading research with special forums emphasizing the topics on the forefront of the industry and an applications-oriented exhibition, CLEO/QELS provides a backdrop for in-depth analysis of the advancements of the future and industry functions of today. The exhibit brings together prominent industry corporations to showcase their technologies and provide a snapshot of today's market. Programs such as the Lasers and Electro-Optics Applications Program complement the exposition, highlighting many of the field's most relevant topics, including homeland defense, biomedical optics, emerging technologies and business and management. The CLEO/QELS career center enables employers, job seekers and colleagues to meet and discuss opportunities in the field. CLEO/QELS provides an educational forum, complete with a dynamic Plenary, short courses, tutorials, workshops and more, on topics as diverse as its attendee base. Plenary speaker Jeff Kimble of the California Institute of Technology will discuss "The New Science of Quantum Information," a rapidly evolving field that promises to revolutionize computing, encryption and communication by taking advantage of the unique properties of light and objects in the atomic and subatomic world. Four pioneering researchers will celebrate the 40th anniversary of an invention that has already revolutionized our world: the semiconductor laser, the inexpensive lasers that are found in CD players, DVD players, fiber optic communications, laser pointers and innumerable other products. The speakers worked for four separate labs that independently built these lasers in a thrilling race forty years ago. The plenary discussion will highlight the monumental achievements of these individuals, investigate the road the semiconductor laser has taken to achieve commercial success and hypothesize on future applications of this significant technology. With an all-time high of 1644 papers submitted -- an 18 percent increase over 2002 -- the CLEO/QELS technical program has never been stronger. This year's conference boasts 5 plenary presentations, 12 tutorials, 3 poster sessions and 104 invited papers, all focused on the most innovative research in laser technology. Technical highlights include the following: The 23rd annual Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics (CLEO 2003) and the 11th Quantum Electronics and Laser Science Conference (QELS 2003) returns to the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Maryland. This unique conference continues to break new ground each year as it combines the best work of the scientific community with a dynamic, applications-oriented exhibition. Joseph Schmitt of Lightlab Imaging in Westford, Mass., will present a research prototype imaging system that can provide high-quality inner views of blocked arteries. Jeff Squier of the Colorado School of Mines, and colleagues Phil Tsai and David Kleinfeld of the University of California, San Diego, will present their findings on how the whole imaging process can be automated by using a femtosecond laser beam, one that delivers ultrashort but powerful bursts of laser light. A group of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed an ultrahigh resolution OCT endoscope for acquiring minimally invasive images of the esophagus and other gastrointestinal regions. Yong-Qing Li and colleagues at East Carolina University will present an optical sensor that can rapidly capture and identify individual biological and nonbiological agents alike. Called the LTRS sensor, it works by combining a pair of optical technologies known as laser tweezers and Raman spectroscopy. Researchers at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, will present a compact, low-cost, portable and rugged detector of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and many other gases for use in disease detection. The device is based on cavity ring-down spectroscopy. For more information, visit the conference's Web site at www.cleoconference.org