The principle of the laser was first known in 1917, when physicist Albert Einstein described the theory of stimulated emission. However, it was not until the late 1940's that engineers began to utilize this principle for practical purposes.
Photo: Albert Einstein Source: Physics Today
At the onset of the 1950's several different engineers were working towards the harnessing of energy using the principle of stimulated emission. At the University of Columbia was Charles Townes, at the University of Maryland was Joseph Weber and at the Labedev Laboratories in Moscow were Alexander Prokhorov and Nikolai G. Basov. At this stage the engineers were working towards the creation of what was termed MASER (Microwave Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation), a device that amplified microwaves as opposed to light and soon found use in microwave communication systems. Townes and the other engineers believed it to be possible to create an optical maser, a device for creating powerful beams of light using higher frequency energy to stimulate what was to become termed the lasing medium. Despite the work of Townes and Prokhorov it was left to Theodore Maiman in 1960 to invent the first laser using a lasing medium of ruby that was stimulated using high energy flashes of intense light.
Both Townes and Prokhorov were later awarded the Nobel Science Prize in 1964 for their endeavors.
Photo: Endre Mester, Hungary, "Father of LLLT" and his two sons. Source: Laser World
The first Low Level Therapeutic Laser was developed in 1962. By the end of the 1960's, Endre Mester was reporting an improved healing of wounds through low level laser radiation. Since then scientists and doctors have understood more about the nature of light and it's positive effects on the body, developing new techniques and devices for use in medicine.
Today, laser therapy is referred to as photobiomodulation.
History of the Development of the Laser |
Date |
Name |
Achievement |
1916 |
Albert Einstein |
Theory of light emission. Concept of Stimulated Emission. |
1928 |
Rudolph W Landenburg |
Confirmed existence of stimulated emission and Negative Absorption. |
1940 |
Valentin A Fabrikant |
Noted possibility of Population Inversion |
1947 |
Willis E Lamb
R C Retherford |
Induced Emission suspect in Hydrogen Spectra. First demonstration of stimulated emission. |
1951 |
Charles H Townes |
The inventor of the MASER (Microwave Amplification of Stimulated Emission of Radiation) at Columbia University - First device based on stimulated emission, awarded Nobel prize 1964. |
1951 |
Joseph Weber |
Independent inventor of MASER at University of Maryland. |
1951 |
Alexander Prokhorov
Nikolai G Basov |
Independent inventors of MASER at Lebedev Laboratories, Moscow. Awarded Nobel prize 1964 |
1954 |
Robert H Dicke |
"Optical Bomb" patent. Based on pulsed population inversion for superradiance and separately Fabry-Perot resonant chamber for "Molecular Amplification and Generation system". |
1956 |
Nicolas Bloembergan |
First proposal for a three-level solid state MASER at Harvard University. |
1957 |
Gordon Gould |
First document defining a LASER; notarised by a candy store owner. Credited with patent rights in the 1970s. |
1958 |
Arthur L Schawlow
Charles H Townes |
First detailed paper describing "Optical MASER". Credited with invention of LASER. From Columbia University. |
1960 |
Arthur L Schawlow
Charles H Townes |
LASER patent No. 2,929,922. |
1960 |
Theodore Maiman |
Invented first working LASER based on Ruby. May 16th 1960, Hughes Research Laboratories. |
1960 |
Peter P Sorokin
Mirek Stevenson |
First Uranium LASER - Second LASER overall. Nov. 1960 IBM Labs. |
1961 |
A G Fox and T Li |
Theoretical analysis of optical resonators at Bell Labs. |
1961 |
Ali Javan
William Bennet Jr.
Donald Herriot |
Invented Helium Neon (HeNe) LASER at Bell Labs. |
1962 |
Robert Hall |
Invention of semi-conductor LASER at General Electric Labs. |
1964 |
J E Geusic
H M Markos
L G Van Uiteit |
Inventor of first working Nd:YAG LASER at Bell Labs. |
1964 |
Kumar N Patel |
Inventor of CO2 LASER at Bell Labs. |
1964 |
William Bridges |
Invention of Argon Ion LASER a Hughes Labs. |
1965 |
George Pimentel
J V V Kasper |
First chemical LASER at University of California, Berkley. |
1966 |
William Silfvast
Grant Fowles and Hopkins |
First metal vapour LASER - Zn/Cd - at University of Utah |
1966 |
Peter Sorokin, John Lankard |
First Dye Laser action demonstrated at IBM Labs. |
1969 |
G M Delco |
First industrial installation of three lasers for automobile application. |
1970 |
Nikolai Basov's Group |
First Excimer LASER at Lebedev Labs, Moscow based on Xenon (Xe) only. |
1974 |
J J Ewing and Charles Brau |
First rare gas halide excimer at Avco Everet Labs. |
1977 |
John M J Madey's Group |
First free electron laser at Stanford University. |
1980 |
Geoffrey Pert's Group |
First report of X-ray lasing action, Hull University, UK. |
1981 |
Arthur Schawlow
Nicolas Bloembergen |
Awarded Nobel Physics Prize for work in non-linear optics and spectroscopy. |
1984 |
Dennis Matthew's Group |
First reported demonstration of a "laboratory" X-ray laser from Lawrence Livermore Labs. |
