55th anniversary of the laser’s invention

Abstract

Fifty five years ago the laser, one of the most important and versatile scientific instruments of all time, was invented. It was on 16 May 1960, that Theodore Maiman obtained the first laser emission. This date is therefore of great importance not only for scientists and engineers fields, but also for the general public who use laser devices in their daily lives. CD, DVD and Blu-ray players, laser printers, barcode readers, and fibre-optic communication systems that connect to the worldwide web and Internet are just a few of the many examples of laser applications in our daily life. Lasers also have a range of important biomedical applications; for example they are used to correct myopia, treat certain tumours and even whiten teeth, not to mention the beauty clinics that continually bombard us with advertisements for laser depilation, which has become so popular nowadays.