The first demonstration of laser action in ruby was made in 1960 by T. H. Maiman of Hughes Research Laboratories, USA. Many laboratories worldwide began the search for lasers using different materials, operating at different wavelengths. In the UK, academia, industry and the central laboratories took up the challenge from the earliest days to develop these systems for a broad range of applications. This historical review looks at the contribution the UK has made to the advancement of the technology, the development of systems and components and their exploitation over the last 60 years.

中文翻译：

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英国高功率激光器研发史

1960 年，美国休斯研究实验室的 TH Maiman 首次展示了红宝石中的激光作用。世界各地的许多实验室开始寻找使用不同材料、在不同波长下工作的激光器。在英国，学术界、工业界和中央实验室从一开始就接受了挑战，为广泛的应用开发这些系统。这篇历史回顾着眼于英国在过去 60 年中对技术进步、系统和组件的开发及其开发所做的贡献。