The need for higher sensitive detection technology for trace gas samples, either in the laboratory setup or in the atmospheric remote sensing has been a goal for several decades. The development of the tunable diode laser has propelled the progress of trace detection technology, and modulation technology enables the improvement of the detection sensitivity. As a result, the detection of 10−7 or 10−8 absorbance is possible for some applications, and modulation technology has been applied to the ultraviolet as well as mid-infra red wavelength range. In this review, recent progress of tunable diode lasers and diode laser-based modulation technologies are presented. Wavelength modulation, frequency modulation, and two-tone frequency modulation techniques are mainly described along with the actual application of the techniques. In addition, the state-of-the-art of diode laser development which can be adopted for the trace detection is presented.