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In 1917, Albert
Einstein first theorized the possibility of Lasers( an acronym for Light
Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation) in his paper Zur
Quantentheorie der Strahlung (On the Quantum Theory of Radiation), through a
rederivation of Max Planck's law of radiation, dealing with the The first working laser was created by Theodore Maiman on May 16th, 1960 at the Hughes Research Laboratory in California. It was done by shining a high-power flash lamp on a ruby rod with silver coated surfaces. The first public announcement was made on July 7th, 1960, which created quite a stir within the scientific and public arenas, bringing front-page newspaper discussions of death rays. In 1960, the potential applications for lasers seemed limitless leading the technology to be described as, "a solution looking for a problem." Today, laser technology is utilized in a myriad of applications including basic science, technology (most notably in optical storage devices-CDs and DVDs), medicine, supermarket checkouts, and telephone networks. We continue to find potential applications almost daily. The first low-level therapeutic laser was developed in 1962. In 1967, Endre Mester at Semmelweis University experimented with the effects of lasers, especially low-level laser, on skin cancer. While applying lasers to the backs of shaven mice, he noticed that the shaved hair grew back more quickly on the treated group than the untreated group. Since that time, low-level laser therapy has been the subject of continued interest as a non-invasive treatment modality. |
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absorption, spontaneous emission, and stimulated emission of electromagnetic
radiation.