Feature Articles
Introduction: The Laser 1960-2010
Fifty years ago this month, physicist Theodore Maiman and his colleagues succeeded in making the first laser work at Hughes Research Laboratories in Malibu, Calif., U.S.A.And five years before that, Charles Townes and his team laid the groundwork for that breakthrough when they published their pioneering work in Physical Review about a new type of microwave amplifier called the maser.
Lasers and the Glory Days of Industrial Research
Fifty years ago, well-funded corporate labs were great places to do research. They could afford sophisticated equipment; they employed an enviable depth of talent; and they paid better than academia. That made them the ideal environment for developing lasers in the 1960s.
by Jeff HechtHybrid Silicon Lasers: The Final Frontier to Integrated Computing
Silicon photonics may revolutionize the 21st century by bringing together two technological areas that transformed the 20th—photonics and microelectronics. Here, the team that pioneered optically and electrically pumped silicon lasers describes their groundbreaking work and where this exciting field is headed.
by John Bowers, Di Liang, Alexander Fang, Hyundai Park, Richard Jones and Mario PanicciaReflections on the First Maser
Before the laser, there was the maser, and, before that, an idea: to build a microwave amplifier using ammonia molecules. Jim Gordon takes us back to the early 1950s, when he had to decide whether Charles Townes’s vision for creating a coherent oscillator was promising enough for him to commit to for his Ph.D. project.
by James P. GordonA Short History of Laser Light Shows
For almost as long as visible-wavelength lasers have existed, artists have been inspired by their potential to create stunning visual displays.
by Patricia DaukantasDepartments and Columns
Pyrotechnic Lasers
Through a series of controlled exothermic reactions, fireworks light up the night to mark national holidays and milestone occasions. As we celebrate the big 5-0 for the laser itself, Steve Wilk wonders: Could pyrotechnics also be used to pump lasers?
The Laser’s First Light: Trends and Highlights from May 1960
We all know that May 1960 brought us the first demonstration of the laser … but what else happened that month?
Toptica Photonics: Helping Lasers Leave the Laboratory
For more than a decade this self-funded company has worked to develop and commercialize diode and fiber lasers while remaining active in the research community.
The Beginning of Truly Integrated Lasers?
Room-temperature infrared-emitting lasers grown on silicon could be the first step toward integrating optics for communications, computing and micro-optical devices.
Close Encounters of the Townes Kind
OSA historian John Howard recalls a few treasured moments spent in the company of laser pioneer Charles Townes.
OPN Talks with Gérard Mourou
Our conversation with Gérard Mourou, CPA inventor and CLEO 2010 keynote speaker.
OPN Talks with Steven Block
Our conversation with Steven Block, optical tweezers pioneer and CLEO 2010 keynote speaker.
A Fine Time Was Had by Al+
New experiments show that an optical clock based on an aluminum ion is the most precise in the world.
OPN Talks with David Awschalom
Our conversation with David Awschalom, spintronics specialist and QELS 2010 plenary speaker.
Did You Know?
Laser ablation to preserve great art.
![An artist’s rendering of a pulse of circularly polarized light hitting a 2D semiconductor. [Illustration by S. Alvey / University of Michigan]](https://opnmedia.blob.core.windows.net/$web/opn/media/images/articles/2025/0125/departments/202501-cover-web.jpg?ext=.jpg)
