Optics at Bell Laboratories–Lasers in Science

Abstract

The laser has had an increasing impact on research in the physical sciences at Bell Laboratories, both in revolutionizing the techniques of experimental optics and in motivating research in new directions. This article provides numerous illustrations and references to laser related Bell Laboratories research on light scattering, solid state physics, nonlinear optics, materials science, quantum electronics and optics, and ultrashort light pulses.

Evolution of the Intelligent Telecommunications Network

“…This technology soon evolved into continuously operating gas lasers and tiny, reliable solidstate lasers. The extremely intense, highly directed beam of coherent light from solid-state lasers has enormous information-carrying capacity (6). But an efficient transmission medium for light had to be found.…”