K-Gray Engineering Pathway Digital Library - Engineering Education Wing of the NSDL

History of Lasers

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Audience/Grade: College Freshman - Continuing Education
Discipline(s): Electrical Engineering
History of Science and Technology
Physics
Learning Resource Type: Reference - Article/Document
Media Type:

 WWW
Author(s): Mary Bellis, About.com, Inventors
Description: "The name LASER is an acronym for Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation. In 1917, Albert Einstein first theorized about the process which makes lasers possible called "Stimulated Emission." Before the Laser there was the Maser In 1954, Charles Townes and Arthur Schawlow invented the maser (microwave amplification by stimulated emission of radiation), using ammonia gas and microwave radiation - the maser was invented before the (optical) laser. The technology is very close but does not use a visible light. On March 24, 1959, Charles Townes and Arthur Schawlow were granted a patent for the maser. The maser was used to amplify radio signals and as an ultrasensitive detector for space research. In 1960, Theodore Maiman invented the ruby laser considered to be the first successful optical or light laser."
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Keywords: Gordon Gould, Charles Townes, Arthur Schawlow, Theodore Maiman
   
Usage Tip
Intervention(s): Goals
Use of Resource: Good link to related resources.
Difficulty: Easy
Interactivity Level: Very Low

   
Version Info
Publication Date: 2008
Platform/Format: WWW
Cost: Free
Download URL: http://inventors.about.com/od/lstartinventions/a/laser.htm
Metadata: IEEE LOM Record
Collection: NEEDS NEEDS