Sixty years ago this month, Theodore H. Maiman, a physicist at Hughes Research Laboratories in Malibu, Calif., constructed the first laser using a cylinder of synthetic ruby and photographic flash lamps. There have been many milestones in the last six decades. In honor of this breakthrough, Photonics Media will be running periodic coverage throughout the month.EMMETT WARREN, NEWS EDITOR [email protected]MURRAY HILL, N.J., May 1, 2020 — In May 1960, Theodore Maiman revealed to the world the first successful demonstration of a laser at Hughes Atomic Physical Department in Malibu, Calif. However, the landmark event was achieved due to the foundation set in place by a pair of Bell Labs researchers two years earlier. Arthur L. Schawlow, a Bell Labs researcher, and Charles H. Townes, a consultant to Bell Labs, conceived of the laser while researching microwave spectroscopy, publishing their findings in 1958 as “Infrared and Optical Masers.” That paper, published in Physical Review, opened the door to endless...Read full articleRelated content from Photonics MediaArticlesCepton Lidar to Feature in Highway Tolling SystemsCepton has won a multimillion-dollar sales contract from one of the largest highway tolling system operators in the U.S., the lidar technology company said. Under the terms of the contract,...Vision Spectra Summer 2023 IssueAgostini, Krausz, L’Huillier Earn Nobel Prize in Physics for Work on Attosecond PulsesPierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz, and Anne L’Huillier have been awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in physics for experimental methods that generate attosecond pulses of light for the study of electron...Photonics.com 10/3/2023Brilliance Lands Investment from PhotonVentures and Oost NLNetherlands-based integrated laser technology startup company Brilliance has secured €2 million ($2.16 million) in seed funding from Oost NL and PhotonVentures. Brilliance’s silicon...Photonics Spectra February 2024 IssueChromacity, LightPath Add to Board; Prima Industrie Appoints CEO; People in the News: 12/28/22Ultrafast-laser manufacturer Chromacity appointed Robert Black and Richard Laming to its board directors as the company seeks to expand further into industrial markets. Black joins as nonexecutive...Photonics.com 12/28/2022ProductsTrajectory Planning SoftwareSCANLAB’s SCANmotionControl is a trajectory planning software for scan systems, designed to accurately track dynamic-limited setpoints. Through the simultaneous adjustment of laser power and...Photonics.com 6/29/20233D Scan HeadThe Firefly 3D scan head from Novanta positions real-time monitoring as a standard, enabling Sigma Additive Solution's data analytics and quality assurance software suite. The next-generation...Photonics Spectra February 2023 IssueEdge-Emitting Laser DiodeThe SPL S1L90H_3 surface-mount edge-emitting laser diode from ams OSRAM is a space-saving device featuring a narrow 110-µm aperture. Easing optical integration in long-distance lidar...Photonics Spectra June 2023 IssueCompact 594 nm 100 mW for BioimagingHÜBNER Photonics announces the addition of a new orange wavelength on the Cobolt 06-01 Series of modulated lasers. The 06-DPL 594 nm has 100 mW output power and can be directly modulated in...Photonics Showcase July 2024 IssuePhotonics Handbook ArticlesWhat Is Photonics?Photonics is the study of light and other types of radiant energy whose quantum unit is the photon. The impact of photonics on research, technology, navigation, culture, astronomy, forensics, and...Photonics HandbookQCL Primer: History, Characteristics, ApplicationsSince its first successful operation in 1960 at Hughes Research Labs, the laser technology has been at the center of innovation and research. Semiconductor lasers first made their appearance in 1962...Photonics HandbookLaser Perforation: The Diffractive Beamsplitter AdvantageThe basic setup in laser perforation includes a pulsed laser, a lens and either a moving mirror, a rotating web or both. Each laser pulse creates a hole in the material. During the blank time in...Photonics HandbookLaser Applications TablesPhotonics HandbookWhite PapersHeat Conduction Joining the Multispot Focusing LensDespite the rapid development of modern lasers, the Gaussian intensity distribution often leads to problems, especially in laser material processing. When welding wide weld seams, a top-hat profile...Photonics.com 2/21/2024Si or InGaAs? Choosing the Right APD Material for Laser Range FindingIn Laser Range Finder (LRF) design, the right combination of Pulsed Laser Diodes (PLDs) and Avalanche Photodiodes (APDs) can enhance range, accuracy, battery life and overall cost. Laser Components...Photonics.com 10/23/20231535nm Erbium Doped Glass Solid-State Laser for Rangefinding, LiDAR, and CommunicationThe erbium-doped glass laser is used in the field of eye-safe rangefinders and is characterized by its reliability and cost effectiveness. This laser is also known as the 1535nm DPSS eye-safe laser...Photonics.com 3/28/2024Fast Axis Collimator Lenses (FACs) - The Essential Components for Laser DiodesWe started developing FACs more than 15 years ago. The result is highly automated in-house processes which allow for competitive prices – even with high volumes. Diode lasers are efficient, compact,...Photonics.com 12/2/2022WebinarsFlat Optics Based on Metasurfaces: Molding Wavefronts and Surface WavesMetasurfaces based on subwavelength patterning have major potential for realizing arbitrary control of the wavefront of diffracted light by achieving local control of the phase amplitude and...Photonics.com 2/26/2015How the Metalens Will Transform Lens Technology and Everyday DevicesMetalenses — ultrathin planar lenses — represent a revolutionary step in lens design and fabrication, a technology that has remained essentially unchanged for centuries. Metalenses have...Photonics.com 5/9/2018Quantum Cascade Lasers (QCL-IR): Enabling Emerging Research in Materials and Life SciencesFirst realized in 1994 by Bell Labs, quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) enable rapid advancements in academic, industrial, and defense applications. QCLs are now available in a diverse range of commercial...Photonics.com 1/9/2023Choosing the Right Fused Silica for Applications in the Near-Infrared (NIR)The range of applications in the NIR spectrum is expanding. Many of these are laser-based. Finding the most suitable fused silica for a particular application can be challenging. In this webinar,...Photonics.com 3/2/2021Photonics Dictionary Termsactive mediumAn active medium is a material or substance used in various optical devices and systems, where it plays a critical role in amplifying light or producing laser beams through the process of stimulated...Photonics Dictionarylaser crystalA laser crystal, also known as an active medium or gain medium, is a solid-state material used in the construction of lasers. The primary function of the laser crystal is to amplify light by...Photonics Dictionarypicosecond pulseA pulse having extremely short duration, about 10-13 to 10-10 s, that is produced by mode locking of wide-bandwidth lasers, such as the organic dye and ruby lasers. Picosecond pulses are used in the...Photonics Dictionaryfrequency combA frequency comb is a precise and regular series of equally spaced spectral lines, or frequencies, that are generated with great accuracy. The term "frequency comb" is often associated with the Nobel...Photonics DictionaryMediaAnthony Yu, NASA Goddard Space Flight CenterAnthony Yu, OSA Senior Member, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, USA, talks about how a visit from Nobel Laureate Arthur Schawlow sparked his interest in lasers and optics.Photonics.com 4/20/2016Inside the Vintage Laser Archives — With Bob HessBob Hess, one of the world’s leading collectors of lasers, laser accessories, and holograms, takes us through his exhibit, “Vintage Lasers & Holograms,” on now in Tempe, Ariz. Hess is a career...Photonics.com 3/15/2022Merging Industry and Education Through Photonics - LIGHT MATTERS 09.2017Tune into this month’s edition of Light Matters for the complete list of Photonics Media’s Industry Beacon award winners. We’ll also introduce you to an Industry Beacon in the Educator category, and...Photonics.com 9/28/2017Tech Transfer Programs Bridge Gap Between Industry and ResearchTechnology Transfer Programs are often a concerted effort to share skills, knowledge, technologies, methods of manufacturing, samples of manufacturing, and facilities among governments or...Photonics.com 6/19/2018Photonics Buyers' Guide CategoriesRuby LasersA ruby laser is an optically pumped, solid-state laser that uses sapphire as the host lattice and chromium as the active ion. The emission takes place in the red portion of the spectrum.Photoelastic ModulatorsGimbalsLaser Job Shop ServicesCompaniesFOCtek Photonics Inc.FOCtek provides customers with all types of custom manufactured lenses, Precision Optical Components, Polarizing Optics, Prisms, Filters, Coatings, Optical Systems, Crystals, Nonlinear Crystals,...Photonics Buyers' GuideOZ Optics LimitedEstablished in 1985, OZ Optics is a leading worldwide supplier of fiber optic components, test equipment and sensors. OZ Optics manufactures its products in three locations, Ottawa (Canada),...Photonics Buyers' GuideOhara CorporationOHARA manufactures more than 130 environmentally safe optical glass types, free of both lead and arsenic. More than 300 tons of optical glass are melted per month, available in the following forms of...Photonics Buyers' GuideLaservision USALASER SAFETY • Eyewear • Barriers • Windows • Training laservision USA designs and manufactures a comprehensive assortment of custom-made laser safety eyewear that attenuates...Photonics Buyers' Guide