1990

1990 — The Hubble space telescope was positioned in a low Earth orbit.

The Hubble space telescope was positioned in a low Earth orbit.

1991 — Demonstrates optical amplifiers that are built into the fiber-optic cable itself.

Emmanuel Desurvire, David Payne and PJ Mears

Demonstrates optical amplifiers that are built into the fiber-optic cable itself.

1991 — First develops the optical coherence tomography (OCT ) technique, utilized coherent light, scattering and interference effects to construct 3D images of biological samples with micrometer (millionths of a meter) resolution.

Fujimoto

First develops the optical coherence tomography (OCT ) technique, utilized coherent light, scattering and interference effects to construct 3D images of biological samples with micrometer (millionths of a meter) resolution.

1991 — Nanotubes discovered.

Sumio Iijima

Nanotubes discovered.

1992 — Development of a magneto-optic data storage technique that can squeeze 45 billion bits of data into a square-inch of disk space.

Eric Betzig, Ray Wolfe, Mike Gyorgy and Jay Trautman, Pat Flynn

Development of a magneto-optic data storage technique that can squeeze 45 billion bits of data into a square-inch of disk space.

1992 — Optical Disc Storage System ("SERODS" for use in supercomputer memory)

Tuan Vo-Dinh

Optical Disc Storage System ("SERODS" for use in supercomputer memory)

1994 — Optical Biopsy System (OBS) developed

Judith Mourant

Optical Biopsy System (OBS) developed

1994 — The Quantum Cascade Laser, a semiconductor laser, is invented and demonstrated.

Jerome Faist, Federico Capasso, Deborah Sivco, Carlo Sirtori, Albert Hutchinson, and Alfred Cho (Bell Labs)

The Quantum Cascade Laser, a semiconductor laser, is invented and demonstrated. Lasing is achieved by a different method than typical semiconductor lasers.

1995 — Creation of the world's first Bose-Einstein Condensate (BEC).

Eric Cornell and Carl Wieman

Creation of the world's first Bose-Einstein Condensate (BEC). A gas whose atoms or molecules are capable of occupying the same energy state and condenses into that state at very low temperatures. In this state it exhibits quantum mechanical properties on a macroscopic level.

1996 — Development of Laser-Induced Differential Normalized Fluorescence Method for Cancer Diagnosis

T. Vo-Dinh, M. Panjehpour and B.F. Overholt,

Laser-Induced Differential Normalized Fluorescence Method for Cancer Diagnosis, a technique that enhances the slight differences between healthy and cancerous tissue.

1997 — Nobel Prize in Physics for the development of methods to cool and trap atoms with laser light awarded

Steven Chu, Claude Cohen-Tannoudji and William D. Phillips

Awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for the development of methods to cool and trap atoms with laser light.

1997 — Creation of the first atom laser from a Bose Einstein condensate.

Researchers at MIT

Create the first atom laser from a Bose Einstein condensate. An atom laser is a coherent beam of atoms that behave like a wave.

1998 — The first laser is approved for LASIK surgery by the FDA.

The first laser is approved for LASIK surgery by the FDA.