Masers and Lasers, An Historical Approach

Maser and lasers are relatively recent inventions which have rapidly found varied applicatons in many areas of science and industry. Professor Bertolotti's book describes the invention and development of both kinds of device, following their progress historically from 1916, when Einstein first proposed the concept of stimulated emission, until the present day. The fundamental theory of masers and lasers is given in order to complement this historical treatment. By means of extracts from the writings and recollections of scientists closely involved with masers and lasers, the author throws light on the way they were led to their inventions, and gives an idea of how they made use of one another's ideas and contributions. This book will appeal to anyone actively working with masers or lasers, or to physical scientists with an interest in scientific history. It will also be useful for anyone requiring an introduction to the fundamental physical theory involved, and extensive references to more specialised literature are included for those wishing to delve further into the subject.