Theodore Maiman

Theodore Maiman was an American physicist best known for inventing the laser in 1960. His breakthrough involved creating a device that amplified light using a process called stimulated emission, where an excited atom releases energy as photons, producing a coherent light beam. Maiman used a ruby crystal to generate this light, marking the beginning of the laser era. Lasers have since become vital in numerous fields, including telecommunications, medicine, and technology, transforming how we use light in various applications, exemplifying Maiman's significant contribution to quantum optics and photonics.