Ruby laser

Diagram of the first ruby laser. A - Positive lead. B - Mirror coating. C - Xenon flashtube. D - Negative lead. E - Laser beam. F - Pumping cavity. G - Ruby rod. H - Trigger wire.

A ruby laser is a solid-state laser that uses a synthetic ruby crystal as its gain medium. The first working laser was a ruby laser made by Theodore H. Maiman at Hughes Research Laboratories on May 16, 1960.

Ruby lasers produce pulses of coherent visible light at a wavelength of 694.3 nm, which is a deep red color. Typical ruby laser pulse lengths are on the order of a millisecond.

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