Kirjahaku

Since the invention of the first working laser in 1960, development of these devices has progressed at an unprecedented rate, to the extent that the laser is now a common part of everyday life, from the semiconductor laser used in CD players and telecommunication systems to the high power eximer lasers used in manufacturing processes. This book traces the history of the laser, from the first theoretical predictions of stimulated emission made in the 1920s, through the experimental development of masers and lasers in the 50s and 60s, to the advanced applications of lasers in the present day. Along the way it tells the fascinating and at times controversial story of the people behind the discoveries. Written in a style suitable for the general public, it will be of interest to those working within the laser community, and to anyone with an interest in the history of science.

Masers and Lasers: An Historical Approach examines the progress of research and practical use of lasers chronologically, covering the fundamental science in detail alongside fascinating biographical sketches of famous physicists and summaries of seminal papers. It supplies helpful drawings of prototype devices, conceptual diagrams to aid in understanding, and remarkable historical photographs. This Second Edition contains new chapters on ultrashort pulse lasers and nonlinear optics, incorporates the latest developments and insights from key scientists, and includes extensive updates on fiber lasers, amplifiers, ultraviolet and X-ray lasers, and plasmonic lasers.

Since the invention of the first working laser in 1960, development of these devices has progressed at an unprecedented rate, to the extent that the laser is now a common part of everyday life, from the semiconductor laser used in CD players and telecommunication systems to the high power eximer lasers used in manufacturing processes. This book traces the history of the laser, from the first theoretical predictions of stimulated emission made in the 1920s, through the experimental development of masers and lasers in the 50s and 60s, to the advanced applications of lasers in the present day. Along the way it tells the fascinating and at times controversial story of the people behind the discoveries. Written in a style suitable for the general public, it will be of interest to those working within the laser community, and to anyone with an interest in the history of science.

Masers and Lasers: An Historical Approach examines the progress of research and practical use of lasers chronologically, covering the fundamental science in detail alongside fascinating biographical sketches of famous physicists and summaries of seminal papers. It supplies helpful drawings of prototype devices, conceptual diagrams to aid in understanding, and remarkable historical photographs. This Second Edition contains new chapters on ultrashort pulse lasers and nonlinear optics, incorporates the latest developments and insights from key scientists, and includes extensive updates on fiber lasers, amplifiers, ultraviolet and X-ray lasers, and plasmonic lasers.

The book describes from a historical point of view how cosmic rays were discovered. The book describes the research in cosmic rays. The main focus is on how the knowledge was gained, describing the main experiments and the conclusions drawn. Biographical sketches of main researchers are provided. Cosmic rays have an official date of discovery which is linked to the famous balloon flights of the Austrian physicist Hess in 1912. The year 2012 can therefore be considered the centenary of the discovery.

This book explains in an accessible way how the concept of the photon was introduced by Einstein who also helped discover many of its properties, and how it interacted with many physical phenomena while revolutionizing the world of physics. Replete with short biographies of the main contributors to the history, the book begins with the historical and scientific conditions that led to the quantization of the electromagnetic field. This upended previously held assumptions about the nature of radiation and led to the christening of the photon. The book then traces how this breakthrough inspired further investigation into the quantum world, as well as setting the stage for many dramatic advances in quantum science and technology over the decades that followed. For example, the dual wave-particle nature of the electromagnetic radiation was revealed by the photon, and extended to matter by Louis de Broglie; entanglement, which surfaced in discussions among Einstein, Bohr and Schroedinger, and is one of the most fundamental characteristic features of the quantum world, is realized beautifully by the photon and is the key to future technologies such as quantum computing and quantum teleportation. The book is essential reading for anyone with an interest in optics, quantum physics or the history of science. It is accessible to anyone familiar with elementary mathematics and basic quantum mechanics, and will be useful to students who will find within a gentle yet rigorous introduction to the photon’s properties.