  Since its birth, the laser has been extraordinarily effective in the study
and applications of laser-matter interaction at the atomic and molecular level
and in the nonlinear optics of the bound electron. In its early life, the laser
was associated with the physics of electron volts and of the chemical bond.
Over the past fifteen years, however, we have seen a surge in our ability to
produce high intensities, five to six orders of magnitude higher than was
possible before. At these intensities, particles, electrons and protons,
acquire kinetic energy in the mega-electron-volt range through interaction with
intense laser fields. This opens a new age for the laser, the age of nonlinear
relativistic optics coupling even with nuclear physics. We suggest a path to
reach an extremely high-intensity level $10^{26-28} $W/cm$^2$ in the coming
decade, much beyond the current and near future intensity regime $10^{23}
$W/cm$^2$, taking advantage of the megajoule laser facilities. Such a laser at
extreme high intensity could accelerate particles to frontiers of high energy,
tera-electron-volt and peta-electron-volt, and would become a tool of
fundamental physics encompassing particle physics, gravitational physics,
nonlinear field theory, ultrahigh-pressure physics, astrophysics, and
cosmology. We focus our attention on high-energy applications in particular and
the possibility of merged reinforcement of high-energy physics and ultraintense
laser.
