The Laser

   Despite the many practicality doubts and hazards that lasers may have produced during the early stages of its discovery, they have come a long
way in terms of medical and technological advancements for our world today. With the ever increasing improvements being made to them, the uses
of lasers are continuing to grow as they slowly become integral parts of our everyday lives. 

The Emergence of Laser Technology

   Originating far beyond our years, the idea of the maser (forefather to the laser) came forth as Charles H. Towne hoped to
develop a radar to be used for aircrafts to use during World War II. By 1958 Charles H. Towne, working with Arthur L.
Schawlow, decided to go beyond that microwave that the maser used and theorized about creating a visible spectrum light, a
laser. Although they thought and wrote of the possibilities, neither Towne or Schawlow went on to produce it.

   The concept was left an idea only until 1958, when a man by Gordon Gould (who studied under Towne) went on to pursue
what Towne and Schawlow only theorized. He however, failed to patent the idea on time. Rather, he was known at the first
person to coin the term "laser". Later in 1960, Theodore Maiman stepped up to the plate and created the ruby laser. This was
known to history as the first ever laser. Much controversy has been held regarding who actually developed the first laser,
whether it was Gould or Maiman.
The images above show an article from the 1960 edition of Popular Mechanics. Click the images to view the pages.

A schematic of the first ruby laser designed by Maiman.

Doubts and Concerns

"Never look into laser beam. The lens in your eye will focus it to a pinpoint spot on your retina, causing sever retinal burns and permanent eye
damage. Never aim at a shiny surface capable of reflecting the beam back at you or others.

The high voltages in this project can kill! Each electrolytic capacitor can store enough energy, even when partially charged, to deliver a lethal shock.
Don't cheat the safety interlocks. They turn off the power and rapidly discharge the capacitors if they laser head is opened."  - "PS Builds a
Laser...and so can you" (1964), Popular Mechanics

   In the early stages of its creation, the laser posed several issues. One of the main issues was safety. The laser was known to be dangerous when
pointed at one's self. It was especially plausible for the laser to cause permanent eye damage. Therefore, there was a strict warning when dealing
with lasers. Its practical uses were also put into question. This was because its creation mainly sparked out of curiosity and nothing more.

Impact
   With the creation of the laser (originally sparked from the idea of Charles Towne's maser) in the later 1950s/early 1960s, its significance
blossomed as it's practical uses began to emerge. Early uses of the first lasers were seen by a company called Western Electric. The company had
used the laser to drill tiny holes into diamond dice for their telephone wires. Without the use of the laser, the task would've taken massive amount
of time and tedious effort. The practical uses of the laser had also been noticed in the field of space exploration. Early astronauts Neil Armstrong
and Buzz Aldrin had placed a laser reflector on the surface of the moon. Since then, NASA has been using lasers to accurately calculate the distance
from the earth to the moon and back.

   Everyday the laser is used in wide range. In the medical field, laser technology is used in vast procedures, including that of laser eye surgery,
laser vein treatment, cosmetic surgery, and so forth. Just recently (August 2009), another laser breakthrough has been made and has opened the
door to DNA manipulation. This can be read here. The use of lasers in the medical field is ever increasing as it provides for improved results,
reduced risk of infection, less scaring, and precisely controlled surgery, just to name a few.

   The uses of lasers are not just limited to the medical field, however. Lasers can be more prominently seen in the world of industry, science, as
well as in everyday appliances. As one 1998 article from the Jefferson Lab News suggested, "As a result, the manufacturing world is in store for big
changes." This was in regards to the creation of Free Electron Laser (FEL) which allowed for faster and more accurate cutting of material, and
altering of surfaces for material, in order to reduce cost. Lasers also continue to be used for drilling and welding in the industrial world. The U.S.
Navy constantly uses lasers to weld together shipbuilding material. In regards to science, scientists still use lasers for space exploration. As Eric
Allen Cornell even put it, "There are relatively few experiments in atomic physics these days that don't involve the use of a laser."Your everyday
DVD players, as well as the price scanners you see in stores, also require the application of lasers in order to function. The application of laser in our
everyday world is endless as they are constantly being improved. Who would've guessed that a tiny theory would develop into such a large success?
To the left shows the first page of an article regarding the growing uses of lasers named "How Lasers Are Going to Work" from the
magazine Popular Mechanics (1970). The images above show the rest of the article. Click the images to view the pages.

Laser Technology Timeline

1917 - Theory of Stimulated Emission

Theory of Stimulated Emission is first introduced. His theory stated that "if an atom in a high-energy state is stimulated by a photon of the right
wavelength, another photon of the same wavelength and direction of travel will be created." Einstein's theory was laser used as the foundation to all
later maser and laser discoveries.

1954 - Creation of the "Maser"

Using ammonia gas and microwave radiation, Charles Townes, along with Arthur Schawlow, produce the first Microwave Amplification by Stimulated
Emission of Radiation (maser). The creation of the maser eventually leads to the development of the laser.

1958 - Concept of the "Laser"

The first concept of the laser is introduced through the publication of Townes and Schawlow regarding the ability to alter the maser in order to
operate in optical and infrared regions. The paper published by them is the first recorded instance of the concept that "light reflected back and forth
in an energized medium can generate amplified light."

1959 - Coining of the term "Laser"

Gordon Guild, a student under Townes attempts Townes and Schawlow's theory about creating and maser to produce an "optical maser". Gordon
fails to patent his experiment, however is successful in patenting and coining the term "laser".

1960 - First Functional Laser

Physicist and electrical engineer Theodore Maiman invents the first fully functional optical laser. Known as the ruby laser, it is the first patented
instance of a laser that successfully produces a pulse of light.

1961 - First Medical Use

The first uses of lasers in the medical field happened in 1961. Used only as a prototype, a ruby laser was used in attempts to destroy a human
patient's retinal tumor. This event led to the development of lasers for other medical procedures.
 Conclusion
   Originally sparked from a sense of curiosity, the laser has gone a long way since it's creation in the mid-1900s. As the practicality of the laser was
put into question with its early development, that soon changed with the growing times. The contributions that the laser has provided us is seen
virtually everywhere. From grocery stores to hospitals, its uses continue to growing as our economy's technological and medical state also advance.
The creation of the laser just goes to show how a small theory can become a great success. 

The image above shows a gasdynamic laser (1970). It demonstrates the growing improvements made to the simple laser.

Bibliography

Primary Sources
Photographs:
Early laser surgery. N.d.Medical Discoveries. Web.
     This image depicts early laser eye surgery. I used this image in my timeline demonstrating when lasers
began being used in the medical field.

Einstein. N.d. From the Desert to the Sea. Web. 

     This is a picture of Einstein. His importance to the laser is discussed in my timeline, as he created the theory
of stimulated emission.

Gas dynamic laser. N.d.  History of the Laser. Web.

     This image of the gas dynamic laser demonstrates the vast varieties of lasers.

Gould's Journal. N.d.Wikipedia. Web. 

     Gordon Gould is know as the man who coined the term "laser". These journal entries show his
early thoughts about the laser.

Laser patent. N.d. Phototronics. Web.

      This image shows the original patent by Townes and Schawlow for the concept of the laser.
Schematic of the first ruby laser.. N.d. History of Lasers. Web.
      This is one of the early diagrams created that demonstrates how the laser is supposed to work.

Theodore Maiman. N.d. Societ Anonyme. Web.

      Maiman is know as the creator of the first working laser. I used this image to show him with his fully
function ruby laser.

Townes and Schawlow with their maser. N.d. Encyclopedia Brtiannica. Web.     

     Townes and Schawlow are showed with their masers to shows. The maser served as a prelude to the laser and this
is why the image is included in my site.

Documents:
Benrey, Ronald. "PS Builds a Laser...and so can you." Popular Science Nov. 1964: n. pag.Modern Mechanix. Web. 
     This article discusses the early creation of the laser, when it was a new idea. It talks about what a laser is, the creators of the laser, and early
warnings about the laser. I used information from this article to discuss early reactions to the creation of the laser and early issues regarding it. 

Gilmore, C. P.. "How Lasers are Going to Work." Popular Science July 1970: n. pag. Modern Mechanix. Web. 
     This website shed light on the early importance of lasers, and it's growing significance since its creation. In my website, I used this article to help
determine the laser's growing impact on our world today.

"Jefferson Lab in the News - Jefferson Lab's Laser Breakthrough Holds Promise for Industry." Thomas Jefferson Lab National Accelerator Facility.
N.p., n.d. Web. 
     <http://www.jlab.org/news/articles/1998/laser-industry.html>. 
     This article discusses the improvements of an FEL laser in order to provide efficiency for power companies. I used this article to show how lasers
are continually improving.

"Laser Breakthrough Opens Door To DNA Manipulation." Medical News Today: Health News. N.p., n.d. Web.  
     <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/162373.php>.  
     This article correlates with the information in one of the Popular Science articles that discusses the use of lasers in space exploration. I used this
site to demonstrate how the same uses of laser technologies are similar now as to what they were used for back then.

Secondary Sources
"History of Lasers." History. N.p., n.d. Web. 
     <ffden-2.phys.uaf.edu/212_fall2003.web.dir/James_Becwar/history/>.  
     This site provided me with primary source pictures of early lasers.

"Laser Facts." Nobelprize.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 

     <http://nobelprize.org/educational_games/physics/laser/facts/use.html>.  
     This site provided me with a list of every day items that use lasers. From DVD players to price tag scanners,
this site was used in my project to list the uses of lasers almost everywhere.

"Laser surgery information."ASDS - American Society for Dermatologic Surgery. N.p., n.d. Web.
     <http://www.asds.net/LaserSurgeryInformation.aspx>.
     This site provided me with information about the impact of lasers in the medical field, and why the use of
them is continually growing.

"Lasers and Fiber Optics Timeline - Greatest Engineering Achievements of the Twentieth Century."Greatest
Engineering Achievements of the Twentieth Century. N.p., n.d. Web.
     <http://www.greatachievements.org/?id=3706>.  
     This website gave a timeline of important events in the history of laser technology. I used this site in my
timeline page, where I talked about some of the major events that happened.

"Lasers in Science and Industry - Astronomy, Geography, and Surveying, Laser Toolbox Technology."Science
Clarified. N.p., n.d. Web.
     <http://www.scienceclarified.com/scitech/Lasers/Lasers-in-Science-and-Industry.html>.  
      This website provided me with the importance of lasers in the field of science and industry, which I
incorporated into my impact section.
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