The first 50 years of the laser – and the next 50
The laser at 50: physicists will have a defining role to play in the next 50 years of the laser, says Tom Baer
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I'm an online editor at Physics World. I write about applied physics research, and generally "fly the flag" for the practical and commercial side of physics within the Physics World team. I joined Physics World in 2008, shortly after completing my PhD in experimental atomic physics at Durham University, but I’m not from these parts originally: I grew up in Kansas and did my undergraduate degree in the US. Aside from industry physics, I'm interested in science policy and every now and then I get nostalgic about soldering circuits and fiddling around with lasers. Outside work I enjoy hiking, reading about history and becoming less incompetent at karate.
The laser at 50: physicists will have a defining role to play in the next 50 years of the laser, says Tom Baer
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