The history of the laser
<p> <span word="This">This</span> <span word="week">week</span>, <span word="we">we</span> <span word="tell">tell</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="recognizable">recognizable</span> <span word="objects">objects</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="science">science</span> <span word="fiction">fiction</span> — <span word="the">the</span> <span word="laser">laser</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="best">best</span> <span word="examples">examples</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="how">how</span> <span word="technology">technology</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="go">go</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="science">science</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="future">future</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="everyday">everyday</span> <span word="use">use</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="short">short</span> <span word="period">period</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="time">time</span>. <span word="Faith">Faith</span> <span word="Lapidus">Lapidus</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Steve">Steve</span> <span word="Ember">Ember</span> <span word="tell">tell</span> <span word="us">us</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="history">history</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="uses">uses</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="laser">laser</span>.</p><p><span word="Laser">Laser</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="short">short</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="Light">Light</span> <span word="Amplification">Amplification</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="Stimulated">Stimulated</span> <span word="Emission">Emission</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Radiation">Radiation</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="idea">idea</span> <span word="behind">behind</span> <span word="lasers">lasers</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="complex">complex</span>. <span word="Just">Just</span> <span word="how">how</span> <span word="complex">complex</span>? <span word="Consider">Consider</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="took">took</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="mind">mind</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Albert">Albert</span> <span word="Einstein">Einstein</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="discover">discover</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="physics">physics</span> <span word="behind">behind</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="laser">laser</span>.</p><p><span word="Theodore">Theodore</span> <span word="Maiman">Maiman</span> <span word="succeed">succeed</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="building">building</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="working">working</span> <span word="laser">laser</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="nineteen">nineteen</span> <span word="sixty">sixty</span>. <span word="Mr">Mr</span>. <span word="Maiman">Maiman</span> <span word="worked">worked</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="Hughes">Hughes</span> <span word="Research">Research</span> <span word="Laboratories">Laboratories</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Malibu">Malibu</span>, <span word="California">California</span>.</p><p><span word="A">A</span> <span word="laser">laser</span> <span word="fires">fires</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="light">light</span> <span word="beam">beam</span>. <span word="Before">Before</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="laser">laser</span>, <span word="scientists">scientists</span> <span word="developed">developed</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="similar">similar</span> <span word="device">device</span>: <span word="a">a</span> <span word="maser">maser</span> <span word="which">which</span> <span word="stands">stands</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="Microwave">Microwave</span> <span word="Amplification">Amplification</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="Stimulated">Stimulated</span> <span word="Emission">Emission</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Radiation">Radiation</span>. <span word="A">A</span> <span word="maser">maser</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="basically">basically</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="microwave">microwave</span> <span word="version">version</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="laser">laser</span>. <span word="Microwaves">Microwaves</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="form">form</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="electromagnetic">electromagnetic</span> <span word="radiation">radiation</span> <span word="similar">similar</span> <span word="to">to</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="shorter">shorter</span> <span word="than">than</span>, <span word="radio">radio</span> <span word="waves">waves</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="best">best</span>-<span word="known">known</span> <span word="use">use</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="masers">masers</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="highly">highly</span> <span word="accurate">accurate</span> <span word="clocks">clocks</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="nineteen">nineteen</span> <span word="fifties">fifties</span>, <span word="researchers">researchers</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="United">United</span> <span word="States">States</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Russia">Russia</span> <span word="independently">independently</span> <span word="developed">developed</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="technology">technology</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="made">made</span> <span word="both">both</span> <span word="masers">masers</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="lasers">lasers</span> <span word="possible">possible</span>. <span word="Charles">Charles</span> <span word="Townes">Townes</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="professor">professor</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Massachusetts">Massachusetts</span> <span word="Institute">Institute</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Technology">Technology</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Cambridge">Cambridge</span>, <span word="Massachusetts">Massachusetts</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="students">students</span> <span word="developed">developed</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="maser">maser</span>.</p><p><span word="Russians">Russians</span> <span word="Nicolay">Nicolay</span> <span word="Basov">Basov</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Aleksandr">Aleksandr</span> <span word="Prokhorov">Prokhorov</span> <span word="did">did</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="research">research</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Moscow">Moscow</span>. <span word="Their">Their</span> <span word="work">work</span> <span word="led">led</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="technology">technology</span> <span word="important">important</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="lasers">lasers</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="masers">masers</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="three">three</span> <span word="men">men</span> <span word="received">received</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Nobel">Nobel</span> <span word="Prize">Prize</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Physics">Physics</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="nineteen">nineteen</span> <span word="sixty">sixty</span>-<span word="four">four</span>.</p>
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