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Oddly enough the LASER was not invented, but discovered. The effect was first predicted by Quantum Mechanics in the 1930s. Then in the early post WW2 period strong microwave sources were observed in space and identified as MASERs (the microwave equivalent of LASERs). Such astronomical MASERs form naturally in large gas clouds very near to bright stars. Soon it was discovered how to make a MASER in the lab and they became useful for some microwave amplifier applications. The first successful LASER was built in the lab from a synthetic ruby rod (partially silvered at both ends) surrounded by a helical xenon flashtube.

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11y ago

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