Or, the options of 'big photons' vs. 'multi-photons'. The science behind application of each of these regimes is different. This science, and its benefits are not limited to industrial materials, for that matter.
More conventional lasers are well-known for retinal reattachment surgery.
These intense ultrafast lasers have proven extremely promising, on the other hand, as a means to drill fine pressure-relief channels for glaucoma treatment. And yet there is comparatively little modelling developed for shocks from intense subpicosecond laser pulses, for which there are such conspicuous differences in industrial materials processing. I'll describe both our progress and our plans.