Optics and laser spectroscopy, Bell Telephone Laboratories, 1951-1961, and Stanford University since 1961

Description

Schawlow family background, Depression years in Toronto; early aptitudes in radio engineering; college and university studies in math and physics, and World War II interruption; Malcolm Crawford and thesis research on atomic beam light source; post-doc at Columbia University, 1949-1951; co-author, with Charles H. Townes, of Microwave Spectroscopy (1955), dealing with theory and experimental techniques of microwave spectroscopy; marriage in 1951 to Aurelia Townes, and move to Bell Telephone Laboratories: working on superconductivity, in 1957-1958 collaborating with Townes on the optical maser (laser), and publication of "Infrared and Optical Masers"; discussion of the atmosphere at Columbia and at Bell Labs, pressures, publications, patents; joins physics faculty at Stanford University: research group in laser spectroscopy, Ted Hänsch, students, administrative matters, other faculty; interest in teaching, motivation, ethical issues, funding and the military, telling stories, timing, hindsight; expert jazz collector; Nobel Prize in Physics, 1981, and other honors; son Arthur, Jr., and discussion of the treatment of autism. invitation and program for the memorial service for Arthur Leonard Schawlow.

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