Jeff Hecht laser pioneer interviews,
1984-1991
Repository
American Institute of Physics. Niels Bohr Library & Archives.
Papers created by
Hecht, Jeff
Size of collection
1.75 linear feet
2 manuscript boxes
1 half manuscript boxes
1 tape/card box
Short description of collection
Audio tapes and original transcripts of interviews conducted by Jeff Hecht with pioneers of laser and laser applications research.
Language(s) of collection
English
Collection number:
AR2004597
Freelance science and technology writer. Science Writing Fellowship, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, 1992. Author of Understanding Lasers (1991); Laser Pioneers (1991); The Laser Guidebook (1986); Optics: Light for a New Age (1988).
Audio tapes and original transcripts of ten interviews conducted by Jeff Hecht with pioneers of laser and laser applications research. Pioneers of laser research: Nicolaas Bloembergen, Gordon Gould (two interviews), Robert N. Hall, Ali Javan, Dennis Matthews, C. Kumar N. Patel, William Silvast, and Peter Sorokin. Pioneers of laser applications research: Emmet Leith and Francis L'Esperance. Topics include: background and education of all interviewees; nuclear magnetic resonance, nonlinear optics, spectroscopy, laser applications, American Physical Society Report on Directed Energy Weapons (Bloembergen); patents, optical communications, copper-vapor lasers, mercury-vapor lasers (Gould); semiconductor lasers, General Electric (Hall); synthetic aperture radar, Willow Run Laboratory, optical signal processing, holography, optical computing (Leith); Bell Laboratories, molecular lasers, spin-flip Raman lasers, atmospheric pollutants, spectroscopy, ozone depletion, American Physical Society Study on Directed Energy Weapons (Patel); Radio Corporation of America, helium-neon laser, classical oscillators at optical frequencies (Javan); opthamology, laser photocoagulation, diabetic retinopathy (L'Esperance); soft x-ray laser, Nova Fusion Laser, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (Matthews); University of Utah, metal-vapor lasers, short-wavelength lasers, helium cadmium laser, Bell Labs (Silvast); Maiman's first laser, dye lasers, two photon lasers, and spectroscopy (Sorokin).
The collection also includes 23 issues of the journal Lasers and Applications (1985-86), containing a series of oral history interviews with researchers involved in the discovery and development of different types of lasers done in commemoration of the 25th anniversary (1985) of the first operation of the laser. Interviewees include: Nicolaas Bloembergen, William Bridges, J. J. Ewing, Gordon Gould, Robert Hall, Ralph Jacobs, Ali Javan, John Madey, Ted Maiman, C. K. N. Patel, William Silfvast, Arthur Schawlow, Peter Sorokin, Charles H. Townes. In 1986 the magazine featured a series of interviews with laser applications pioneers. Interviewees included are: Sidney Charschan, Evan Dryer, Arthur H. Guenther, Theodor W. Hansch, Al Hildebrand, Charles K. Kao, Narinder Kapany, Larry Larson, Emmett Leith, Francis L'Esperance.
Researchers must have an approved access application on file in order to access archival materials. https://www.aip.org/history-programs/niels-bohr-library/item-request.
These papers have been indexed in the
International Catalog of Sources for History of Physics and Allied Sciences (ICOS)
using the following terms. Those seeking related materials should search under these terms.
Persons
Bloembergen, N.
Bridges, William B., 1934-
Charschan, Sidney S.
Gould, Gordon, 1920-2005
Guenther, Arthur Henry, 1931-
Hall, Robert Noel, 1919-
Hänsch, T. W. (Theo W.), 1941-
Javan, Ali, 1926-
Kao, Charles K., 1933-
L'Esperance, Francis A., 1932-
Leith, Emmett N.
Madey, J. M. J.
Maiman, Theodore H.
Matthews, Dennis L.
Patel, C. Kumar N.
Schawlow, Arthur L., 1921-1999-
Silvast, William
Sorokin, Peter P.
Townes, Charles H.
Institutions
Bell Telephone Laboratories
General Electric Company.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
Radio Corporation of America.
University of Michigan. Willow Run Laboratories.
University of Utah.
Subject terms
Air. Pollution potential.
Dye lasers.
Helium-neon lasers.
Lasers.
Lasers. History
Metal vapor lasers.
Molecular gas lasers.
Nuclear magnetic resonance.
Raman spectroscopy.
Semiconductor lasers.
Spectrum analysis.
Synthetic aperature radar.
X-ray lasers.
Genre terms
Interviews.
Oral histories.
Sound recordings.
Transcripts.
This collection is organized into three series:
- Series I: Transcripts and notes
- Series II: Lasers & Applications
- Series III: Audio tape cassettes
Transcripts and tapes are arranged alphabetically by interviewee last name, and the magazine issues are arranged chronologically.
Gift of Jeff Hecht, 1991, 2000 and 2004.
This collection is unprocessed.
Box [number], Folder [number], Jeff Hecht laser pioneer interviews, 1984-1991. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library & Archives, College Park, MD 20740, USA.
Title
Finding Aid to the Jeff Hecht laser pioneer interviews, 1984-1991
Publisher
American Institute of Physics Niels Bohr Library & Archives
One Physics Ellipse
College Park, MD 20740
USA
nbl@aip.org
2013
Encoding Information
Machine-readable finding aid encoded by Melanie J. Mueller in 2013. Any revisions made to this finding aid occurred as part of the editing and encoding process.
| Box 1 |
Folder 1 |
Bloembergen, Nicolaas (part edit), November 1984 |
|
Folder 2 |
Gould, Gordon (part edit), April 1983 |
|
Folder 3 |
Gould, Gordon (part edit), September 1984 |
|
Folder 4 |
Hall, Robert (part edit), October 1984 |
|
Folder 5 |
Javan, Ali, 1985, 1990, 1991 |
|
Folder 6 |
Leith, Emmett (part edit), December 1985 |
|
Folder 7 |
L'Esperance, Francis, September 1983 |
|
Folder 8 |
Matthews, Dennis, February 1990 |
|
Folder 9 |
Patel, C. Kumar N. (part edit), November 1984 |
|
Folder 10 |
Silvast, William, 1984 |
| Box 1b |
Folder 1 |
Sorokin, Peter, September 1984 |
|
Folder 2 |
Sorokin, Peter (part edit), September 1984 |
|
Folder 3 |
Sorokin, Peter (working file), September 1984 |
|
Folder 4 |
Sorokin, Peter (unedited transcript), September 1984 |
| Box 2 |
Folder 1 |
Lasers & Applications, volume 4, number 1, January 1985 |
|
Folder 2 |
Lasers & Applications, volume 4, number 2, February 1985 |
|
Folder 3 |
Lasers & Applications, volume 4, number 3, March 1985 |
|
Folder 4 |
Lasers & Applications, volume 4, number 4, April 1985 |
|
Folder 5 |
Lasers & Applications, volume 4, number 5, May 1985 |
|
Folder 6 |
Lasers & Applications, volume 4, number 7, July 1985 |
|
Folder 7 |
Lasers & Applications, volume 4, number 8, August 1985 |
|
Folder 8 |
Lasers & Applications, volume 4, number 9, September 1985 |
|
Folder 9 |
Lasers & Applications, volume 4, number 10, October 1985 |
|
Folder 10 |
Lasers & Applications, volume 4, number 11, November 1985 |
|
Folder 11 |
Lasers & Applications, volume 4, number 12, December 1985 |
|
Folder 12 |
Lasers & Applications, volume 5, number 1, January 1986 |
|
Folder 13 |
Lasers & Applications, volume 5, number 2, February 1986 |
|
Folder 14 |
Lasers & Applications, volume 5, number 3, March 1986 |
|
Folder 15 |
Lasers & Applications, volume 5, number 4, April 1986 |
|
Folder 16 |
Lasers & Applications, volume 5, number 5, May 1986 |
|
Folder 17 |
Lasers & Applications, volume 5, number 6, June 1986 |
|
Folder 18 |
Lasers & Applications, volume 5, number 7, July 1986 |
|
Folder 19 |
Lasers & Applications, volume 5, number 8, August 1986 |
|
Folder 20 |
Lasers & Applications, volume 5, number 9, September 1986 |
|
Folder 21 |
Lasers & Applications, volume 5, number 10, October 1986 |
|
Folder 22 |
Lasers & Applications, volume 5, number 11, November 1986 |
|
Folder 23 |
Lasers & Applications, volume 5, number 12, December 1986 |
| Box 3 |
Bloembergen, Nicolaas, undated |
|
Gould, Gordon (parts 1 and 2), undated |
|
Gould, Gordon (parts 3 and 4), undated |
|
Gould, Gordon (part 5), undated |
|
Gould, Gordon (side 5) - duplicate, undated |
|
Gould, Gordon (sides 1 and 2) - duplicate, undated |
|
Gould, Gordon (sides 3 and 4) - duplicate, undated |
|
Hall, Robert (sides 1 and 2) - duplicate, undated |
|
Hall, Robert (sides 3 and 4) - duplicate, undated |
|
Javan, Ali (sides 1 and 2), undated |
|
Javan, Ali (sides 3 and 4), undated |
|
Javan, Ali, September 1990 |
|
Javan, Ali (1990 and 1991 interview duplicates) - see box 1, undated |
|
Leith, Emmett (sides 1 and 2), undated |
|
Leith, Emmett (sides 2 and 3), undated |
|
Leith, Emmett (sides 1-4 duplicates) - see box 1, undated |
|
L'Esperance, Francis (sides 1 and 2), undated |
|
L'Esperance, Francis (sides 3 and 4), undated |
|
Matthews, Dennis (sides 1 and 2), undated |
|
Matthews, Dennis (side 3), undated |
|
Matthews, Dennis (sides 1-3 duplicates) - see box 1, undated |
|
Patel, C. Kumar N. (sides 1 and 2), undated |
|
Patel, C. Kumar N. (sides 3 and 4), undated |
|
Patel, C. Kumar N. (sides 5 and 6), undated |
|
Silvast, William (sides 1 and 2), undated |
|
Silvast, William (sides 3 and 4), undated |
|
Sorokin, Peter (sides 1 and 2), undated |
|
Sorokin, Peter (sides 3 and 4), undated |
|
Sorokin, Peter (sides 5 and 6), undated |
|
Sorokin, Peter (sides 1 and 2) - duplicate, undated |
|
Sorokin, Peter (sides 3 and 4) - duplicate, undated |
|
Sorokin, Peter (sides 5 and 6) - duplicate, undated |
