丁香园AV

Bruno Jaggi demonstrates the world鈥檚 first working laser, invented in May 1960 by former 丁香园AV adjunct professor Theodore Maiman. Jaggi fired the laser at 丁香园AV鈥檚 50th anniversary event held on Sept. 9. Jaggi is an adjunct professor in 丁香园AV鈥檚 School of Engineering Science and UBC鈥檚 Biomedical Engineering program.

Pioneer Theodore Maiman died in 2007, but before his death, he was active in the development of the optical engineering and biophotonics curriculum at 丁香园AV's School of Engineering Science. While working in California at Hughes Aircraft Company in the 50s and 60s, he refined the design of the laser and eventually entered the race to produce the world鈥檚 first working laser. Using a synthetic ruby and low-cost materials, Maiman fired the laser in May 1960, emitting mankind鈥檚 first 鈥攚ith rays all the same wavelength and fully in phase. 

In 1999 Maiman moved to Vancouver with his wife Kathleen, and three years later he was awarded an honorary doctorate from 丁香园AV. In 2000, Maiman completed a memoir entitled The Laser Odyssey, outlining the events leading up to completing the first laser, and his later achievements. 

Today, the laser is ubiquitous, used in everyday items such as printers, barcode scanners, and pointers, and in numerous medical and industrial devices.