Table of Contents

Contents (List of those interviewed): C.H. Townes, Infared and Optical Masers. A.L. Schawlow, Origins of the Laser. N. Bloembergen, Masers and Nonlinear Optics. G. Gould, Another View of Laser Development. T.H. Maiman, The First Laser. P. Sorokin, The Second Laser and the Dye Laser. A. Javan, The Helium-Neon Laser. R.N. Hall, The Semiconductor Laser. C.K.N. Patel, The Carbon-Dioxide Laser. W. Bridges, The Ion Laser. W.T. Silfvast, Metal-Vapor Lasers. J.J. Ewing, Excimer Lasers. J.M.J. Madey, The Free-Election Laser. D.L. Matthews, The X-Ray Laser. Index.

Promotional Information

Key Features
* Contains interviews with 15 key scientists in laser research and development
* Provides an extensive overview of laser history
* Includes interviews with three Nobel Prize winners

Reviews

"[This text] should be interesting to lay persons, students, historians, and experts in the field. It also inspires the reader. Oftentimes I could not put the book down. I highly recommend this book to anyone who may be interested in the development of lasers." --PHYSICS IN CANADA

"Hecht has written a 'narrative' about the invention of the first laser that is simply first rate...Laser Pioneers is certainly an important edition to the published literature of laser history." --OPTICS & PHOTONICS NEWS