Optical Masers in Biology and Medicine

THE impact of the optical maser, or laser, on contemporary thought may be surmised by the appearance of Danny Dunn and the Heat Ray just two years after Maiman,1 in 1960, realized in practice the theoretical considerations of Schawlow and Townes.2 In somewhat more objective terms, Aviation Week, on April 22, 1963, listed 62 research groups fulfilling government contracts in research and development worth $12,500,000.3 Although most investigation and applications of the optical maser have been for commercial or military purposes, the instrument has broad applicability in biology and medicine because it makes available for the first time stable, . . .