The Laser

Despite the many practicality doubts and hazards that lasers may have produced during the early stages of its discovery, they have come a longway in terms of medical and technological advancements for our world today. With the ever increasing improvements being made to them, the usesof lasers are continuing to grow as they slowly become integral parts of our everyday lives. The Emergence of Laser Technology Originating far beyond our years, the idea of the maser (forefather to the laser) came forth as Charles H. Towne hoped todevelop a radar to be used for aircrafts to use during World War II. By 1958 Charles H. Towne, working with Arthur L.Schawlow, decided to go beyond that microwave that the maser used and theorized about creating a visible spectrum light, alaser. Although they thought and wrote of the possibilities, neither Towne or Schawlow went on to produce it.The concept was left an idea only until 1958, when a man by Gordon Gould (who studied under Towne) went on to pursuewhat Towne and Schawlow only theorized. He however, failed to patent the idea on time. Rather, he was known at the firstperson to coin the term "laser". Later in 1960, Theodore Maiman stepped up to the plate and created the ruby laser. This wasknown to history as the first ever laser. Much controversy has been held regarding who actually developed the first laser,whether it was Gould or Maiman.

Impact With the creation of the laser (originally sparked from the idea of Charles Towne's maser) in the later 1950s/early 196 0s, its significanceblossomed as it's practical uses began to emerge. Early uses of the first lasers were seen by a company called Western Electr ic. The company hadused the laser to drill tiny holes into diamond dice for their telephone wires. Without th e use of the laser, the task would've taken massive amountof time and tedious effort. The practical uses of the laser had also been noticed in the field of space exploration. Early as tronauts Neil Armstrongand Buzz Aldrin had placed a laser reflector on the surface of the moon. Since then, NASA has been using lasers to accurately calculate the distancefrom the earth to the moon and back.Everyday the laser is used in wide range. In the medical field, laser technology is used in vast procedures, inclu ding that of laser eye

surgery,laser vein treatment, cosmetic surgery, and so forth. Just recently (August 2009), another laser breakthrough has been made a nd has opened thedoor to DNA manipulation. The use of lasers in the medical field is ever increasing as it provides for improved results,reduced risk of infection, less scaring, and precisely controlled surgery, just to name a few.The uses of lasers are not just limited to the medical field, however. Lasers can be more prominently seen in the world of industry, scie nce, aswell as in everyday appliances. As one 1998 article from the Jefferson Lab News suggested, "As a result, the manufacturing world is in store for bigchanges." This was in regards to the creation of Free Electron Laser (FEL) which allowed for faster and more accurate cutting of material, andaltering of surfaces for material, in order to reduce cost. Lasers also continue to be used for drilling and welding in the industrial world. The U.S.Navy constantly uses lasers to weld together shipbuilding material. In regards to science, scientists still use lasers for sp ace exploration. As EricAllen Cornell even put it, "There are rela tively few experiments in atomic physics these days that don't involve the use of a laser."Your everydayDVD players, as well as the price scanners you see in stores, also require the application of lasers in order to function. Th e application of laser in oureveryday world is endless as they are constantly being improved. Who would've guessed that a tiny theory would develop into s uch a large success?

Laser Technology Timeline 1917 - Theory of Stimulated Emission Theory of Stimulated Emission is first introduced. His theory stated that "if an atom in a high -energy state is stimulated by a photon of the rightwavelength, another photon of the same wavelength and direction of travel will be created." Einstein's theory was laser used as the foundation to alllater maser and laser discoveries.

1954 - Creation of the "Maser" Using ammonia gas and microwave radiation, Charles Townes, along with Arthur Schawlow, produce the first Microwave Amplificat ion by StimulatedEmission of Radiation (maser). The creation of the maser eventually leads to the development of the laser.

1958 - Concept of the "Laser"

The first concept of the laser is introduced through the publication of Townes and Schawlow regarding the ability to alter th e maser in order tooperate in optical and infrared regions. The paper published by them is the first recorded instance of the concept that "light re flected back and forthin an energized medium can generate amplified light."

1959 - Coining of the term "Laser" Gordon Guild, a student under Townes attempts Townes and Schawlow's theory about creating and maser to produce an "optical maser". Gordonfails to patent his experiment, however is successful in patenting and coining the term "laser".

1960 - First Functional Laser Physicist and electrical engineer Theodore Maiman invents the first fully functional optical laser. Known as the ruby laser, it is the first patentedinstance of a laser that successfully produces a pulse of light.

1961 - First Medical Use The first uses of lasers in the medical field happened in 1961. Used only as a prototype, a ruby laser was used in attempts to destroy a humanpatient's retinal tumor. This event led to the development of lasers for other medical procedures.

Conclusion Originally sparked from a sense of curiosity, the laser has gone a long way since it's creation in the mid -1900s. As the practicality of the laser wasput into question with its early development, that soon changed with the growing times. The contributions that the laser has provided us is seenvirtually everywhere. From grocery stores to hospitals, its uses continue to growing as our economy's technological and medic al state also advance.The creation of the laser just goes to show how a small theory can become a gr eat success.