Laser photons can interact with a gas‐solid system to promote heterogeneous reactions and to stimulate desorption. In this paper, a review is given on desorption processes induced by photon radiation. This includes laser‐induced thermal desorption and photodesorption by ultraviolet, visible, and infrared lasers. Relevant theories and recent experimental results are discussed with particular emphases on surface molecular dynamics and on assessing the quantum and the thermally assisted radiation effects.