50 Years of Working at The Speed of Light
2010 marks the 50th anniversary of the invention of the Laser (Light Amplification
by Stimulated Emission of Radiation). The science has evolved from a series of curious instruments conceived and produced by a handful of scientists, to one of the most important scientific inventions of all time. Research into the laser has led to seven Nobel prizes and the output from the research now touches every aspect of our lives from the production of magazines to the cooling of atoms, and the welding of automobiles to the destruction of missiles. This briefing by the IfM’s Centre for Industrial Photonics describes the origins of laser technology and its future implications.
