The Laser Turns 60
Six decades ago, in a windowless lab on a hilltop above the Pacific Ocean, Theodore (Ted) Maiman — assisted by Irnee D’Haenens — tested a palm-size device that would upend the scientific establishment. Working at Hughes Research Lab (now HRL Laboratories and formerly the research arm of Hughes Aircraft Co.) in Malibu, Calif., Maiman had built the prototype in less than nine months with a paltry budget of $50,000. It was a fraction of what his competitors working on well-funded projects worldwide at powerhouse facilities had to accomplish the same task, which was to build the world’s first laser.
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