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Basov, Nikolay Gennadiyevich Basov, Nikolay
Gennadiyevich Soviet physicist and Nobel Laureate. Basov
helped to develop both the laser and the maser, for which he shared the 1964
Nobel Prize in physics with Soviet physicist Aleksandr Mikhailovich Prokhorov
and American physicist Charles Hard Townes. Basov,
together with his teacher Prokhorov, conducted groundbreaking research in
quantum mechanics, which concerns the behavior of atoms at different energy
levels. They first deduced that quantum mechanics permits the amplification of
microwaves and light waves by inducing atoms to release energy. This helped
them construct the theoretical basis of the process now called microwave
amplification by stimulated emission of radiation, or, more commonly, maser.
The maser quickly found many applications for its ability to send strong
microwaves in any direction and resulted in improvements in radar. The maser
also provided the basis for an atomic clock that was far more accurate than any
mechanical timepiece ever invented. Basov later helped develop the
visible-light maser, or laser , which delivers infrared or visible light
instead of microwaves. Both the maser and the laser can collect and amplify
energy waves hundreds of times. They can also produce a beam with almost
perfectly parallel light waves and little or no interference or static. Gould, Gordon Gould, Gordon , American physicist, born in
New York City and educated at Union College and Yale University. He gained
belated recognition for his work in originating the concept of the Laser. Gould
had conceived a gas-discharge laser in 1959, also coining the acronym “laser”
in his notebook, but failed to apply for a patent at that time. Through
subsequent legal struggles he won partial patents in 1977 and 1979, and in 1987
he gained a patent that covers several types of laser. Maiman, Theodore Harold Maiman,
Theodore Harold
, American physicist, born in Los Angeles and educated at the University of
Colorado and Stanford University, who was the first to successfully produce a
pulse of coherent light from a laser. He accomplished this in May 1960, using
ruby as the laser medium. The first continuously operating laser was achieved a
few months later. Prokhorov, Aleksandr Mikhailovich Prokhorov,
Aleksandr Mikhailovich , Australian-born Soviet physicist and Nobel laureate. Prokhorov
helped to develop both the laser and the maser, for which he shared the 1964
Nobel Prize in physics with Soviet physicist Nikolay Gennadiyevich Basov and
American physicist Charles Hard Townes. Schawlow, Arthur Leonard Schawlow,
Arthur Leonard
, American physicist and Nobel Prize winner. His research focused on optics, in
particular, lasers and their use in spectroscopy. For his work in the
development of laser spectroscopy, Schawlow was honoured with the 1981 Nobel
Prize in physics, which he shared with Dutch-American physicist Nicolaas
Bloembergen and Swedish physicist Kai Manne Borje Siegbahn.In the 1950s
Schawlow described organized wavelengths in the optical region-that is, lasers.
This contributed to the first successful generation of a laser, achieved in
1960 by American physicist Theodore Maiman. The substance absorbs or emits some
of the energy, thereby producing a spectrum that can be carefully measured and analysed. Townes, Charles Hard Townes, Charles
Hard ,
American physicist and Nobel laureate. Townes made important contributions to
the field of quantum theory and significantly improved radar technology. For
his fundamental work in the field of quantum electronics, Townes was awarded
the 1964 Nobel Prize in physics, which he shared with Soviet physicists Nikolay
Basov and Aleksandr Prokhorov.During his studies, he recognized the need for a
device that would generate microwaves in great intensity, and in 1951 he came
upon the idea of producing this energy by manipulating molecules rather than
electronic circuits. Townes immediately thought of the ammonia molecule, which
had a vibrating frequency and two levels of energy that might lend them to
producing microwaves. He hypothesized that he could get ammonia molecules
“excited” by pumping energy into them through heat or electricity, after which
he would expose them to a weak beam of microwaves. Townes knew that molecules
so treated would emit their own energy in microwaves, which would strike other
molecules and cause them to give up their energy. He hoped that the very feeble
incoming microwaves would spur a cascade that would produce a flood of
microwaves. In
December 1953 Townes and his students constructed a device that did exactly
this, producing microwaves in a beam. They dubbed the process “microwave
amplification by stimulated emission of radiation,” which led to the more
commonly used term maser. The new device resulted in improvements in
radar and also provided the basis for an atomic clock that was far more
accurate than any mechanical timepiece ever invented. In the late 1950s Townes
and his associates improved upon the maser by creating solid-state masers that
could amplify ultraweak signals better than any other known means of
amplification. In 1960 Townes developed the concepts for the visible-light
maser, or laser , which delivers infrared or visible light instead of
microwaves. Two years later, American physicist Theodore H. Maiman built the
first laser. Throughout the rest of his career, Townes's primary interest
remained quantum theory, but he also pursued research in radio and infrared
astronomy. Bloembergen, Nicolaas Bloembergen,
Nicolaas ,
Dutch-American physicist and Nobel Prize winner. For his work in developing
laser spectroscopy, Bloembergen received the 1981 Nobel Prize in physics, which
he shared with Swedish physicist Kai Manne Borje Siegbahn and American
physicist Arthur Leonard Schawlow.Bloembergen was especially interested in
using lasers to excite a substance, and then studying the relative amounts of
energy the substance absorbs. Bloembergen worked out new laws of optics for
these situations and used these laws to develop additional techniques for laser
spectroscopy Rabi, Isidor Isaac
Rabi Isidor Isaac.. American physicist, b. Rymanów, Austria. To U.S. (1899). Joined physics department of Columbia U.
(1929). Invented (1937) the atomic and molecular beam magnetic resonance method
for registration of magnetic properties of atomic nuclei; his discovery made
precise measurements possible and led to development of atomic clock, laser,
maser, and diagnostic scanning of the human body by nuclear magnetic resonance.
Awarded 1944 Nobel prize for physics.
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