bild

First laser. Close-up of the solid-state laser invented by the American physicist Theodore Maiman (1927-2007). Maiman is widely credited as inventing the first laser (seen here) in May 1960. This device produced a laser beam using a ruby rod (pink) to emit a beam of red light. (KEYSTONE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/MATTEIS/LOOK AT SCIENCES/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY)