OPSC OAS 2021 PrelimsScience & TechnologyQuestion 6
Solved previous year question from the OPSC OAS/OCS 2021 Preliminary Examination (General Studies), with the official answer key and a detailed explanation.
Question
What was the active medium used in the first working laser ever constructed?
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Answer & Explanation
Correct answer: (C) Ruby Rod
- The first functional laser, built in 1960 by Theodore Maiman at Hughes Research Laboratories in California, USA, utilized a synthetic ruby crystal to amplify light and produce coherent laser emission.
What is LASER?
- Full Form:Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation
- Concept Given by:Albert Einstein (1917) — proposed the theory of stimulated emission
- MASER (predecessor):Developed by Charles Townes and Arthur Schawlow (1954) — Microwave Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation
- Key Properties of Laser Light:Monochromatic (single wavelength), Coherent (waves in phase), Collimated (parallel beam with minimal divergence), High intensity.
