The first laser

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Who

Theodore Maiman, an American physicist from a Jewish family.

When

1960

Where

Hughes Research Laboratories, Malibu, California, USA

The laser, now used in everything from surgery and manufacturing to communications and everyday scanners, was first built as a working device in 1960. It was made by physicist Theodore Maiman, who came from a Jewish family, using a synthetic ruby crystal to produce the first coherent beam of light.

Sources

Part of “The Gifts of the Jews” — verified Jewish contributions to the world, with sources.