SPIE Virtual Laser Exhibit: 1960 - 1969

Ted Maiman Collection: Scientific Notebook 
Time Period: 16 May 1960

Record of the first manmade coherent light in one jump of four orders of magnitude from microwave to laser.

Ted Maiman Collection: First Laser
Time Period: c. 1960

This is an exact replica of the first laser. Of note is the polished cylinder and flash lamp, along with the pink ruby a centimeter and a half long, and mirrors on either side.

Early Ruby Laser
Time Period: c. 1960s
Technology Represented: Laser Pumps

Helical flash lamp integrated with glass pump chamber

Early Laser Safety Goggles
Time Period: c. 1960-1970
Technology Represented: Laser Safety

Welder's goggle fitted with dark filter glass

 

1965 Electro Optics Associates Model LAS- 101 Helium-Neon Laser
Time Period: c. Mid-1960s
Technology Represented: Gas Lasers

This is an example of a very early laser built for portability and general lab use. The accompanying booklet, "Laboratory Experiments with Coherent Light", was published that year to assist science educators and to help them with course work planning with the LAS-101 laser. It was powered by a user-supplied 300VDC 60mA lab power supply, gave 0.5mW single mode, and cost $660 new.

Hughes Model 3052 Argon Ion Laser System
Time Period: c. Late 1960s
Technology Represented: Ion Lasers

After the ion laser was invented at Hughes and they built a few for airborne applications, the ion laser technology was eventually transferred to the Electron Dynamics Division for them to manufacture a line of militarized ion lasers. This is an early example of what they produced, featuring a nice spiral gas return tube inside the ballast tank.

Hughes 3052 Power Supply

1962 Hughes Aircraft Company Model 200 Ruby Laser System
Time Period: c. Early 1960s
Technology Represented: Pulsed Lasers

This laser includes a Model 250 power supply, and original helical flashlamp, reflective coatings, and cables. Less than 100 were made according to Doug Buddenhagen, who headed the group of 7-10 at Hughes that commercialized Maiman's original design. This one was used by Texas Instruments for resistor trimming and is fully operational today, giving a maximum output of 1.5 Joules. It features a 1.5"x0.375" rod with multilayer dielectric reflectors on the ends, adjustable capacitance by use of knife switches under the hood, and a price as configured here of $2,260.00 when new.

1962 Optics Technology Model 120 Ruby Laser System
Time Period: c. Early 1960s
Technology Represented: Pulsed Lasers

This laser is very similar to the model 100 found in an advertisement from January of that year, which is how I dated it. Optics Technology was based in Palo Alto, California, and founded by Dr. Narinder Kapany, the "father of fiber optics".

1963 Perkin-Elmer / Spectra-Physics Model 111 Helium-Neon Laser Head and Power Supply 
Time Period: c. Early 1960s
Technology Represented: Gas Lasers

One of the first 75 sold by Spectra-Physics before June 1963. Leith & Upatnieks acquired their own larger He-Ne laser in March of 1963, which I believe to have been a Model 111. Its higher output power of 10mW facilitated their recording of the first holograms of three-dimensional imagery by the end of that year. 

1962 Perkin Elmer / Spectra-Physics Model 110 Helium-Neon Laser Head
Time Period: c. Early 1960s
Technology Represented: Gas Lasers

The first 75 lasers sold by Spectra Physics also carried the Perkin Elmer name. The Model 100 was the first commercially available Continuous Wave laser, but its output was in the infrared. The 3mW Model 110 was the first CW laser commercially available with a visible output wavelength. This is also the laser model borrowed by Leith & Upatnieks to record their first holograms with laser light. This one is missing its cylindrical aluminum covers, and a gas fill valve has been installed by the previous owner.

1963 Perkin-Elmer / Spectra-Physics Model 111 Helium-Neon Laser Head
Time Period: c. Early 1960s
Technology Represented: Gas Lasers

One of the first 75 sold by Spectra-Physics before June 1963. Leith & Upatnieks acquired their own larger He-Ne laser in March of 1963, which I believe to have been a Model 111. Its higher output power of 10mW facilitated their recording of the first holograms of three-dimensional imagery by the end of that year.

Ted Maiman Collection: Pink Ruby Boles
Time Period: c. 1960

Scientifica & Cook Helium Neon Laser
Time Period: c. Late 1960s
Technology Represented: Gas Lasers

This is a very early laser from the London-based company founded in 1966, probably made to compete with the Spectra-Physics Model 130 He-Ne laser. The mirrors are huge and were produced with hard-oxide materials by Angus Macleod at Grubb-Parsons. The output power was 0.5mW single mode, and it cost $728.00 during the Summer of Love.

Next page - 1970 to 1979
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