Researched
Laser
Maiman builds the first laser in 1960 from Einstein's idea of stimulated emission (1917): light of a single color, perfectly in step.
Open in the interactive tree →Einstein predicted stimulated emission in 1917, Townes built the maser in 1953, and Theodore Maiman operated the first ruby laser in May 1960. Lasers carry the internet through optical fiber, cut and weld, correct eyesight, print chips in lithography and measure distances to the Moon and the tiniest vibrations in gravitational-wave detectors.
Prerequisites
- Electromagnetism1831-1865
- Planck's Quantum of Action1900Einstein derived stimulated emission from Planck's radiation law
- Quantum Mechanics1925
Unlocks
- Semiconductor Laser Diode1962
- CO2 Laser1964
- Excimer Laser1970
- Optical Fiber1970
- Barcode & Scanner1974
- 3D Printing (Additive Mfg)1984
- Fullerenes1985
- Large-scale neural recording1990–2017
- Cold Atoms: BEC & Laser Cooling1995
- Optogenetics2005
- Gravitational Waves Detected2015
- 3D Printing in Production2016–2026
- Quantum Key Distribution2016QKD sends single photons from laser-based sources over fiber and free space
- EUV Lithography2019
- Robotaxis in Daily Service2020–2026Robotaxi lidar sensors measure distance with laser pulses
- Fusion: Ignition & Records2022–2026
- Photonic & Neuromorphic Chips2026
- Net-Electricity Fusion Plantopen