Theodore Maiman - Biography

Biography

Theodore H. (Harold) Maiman was born in Los Angeles, California, where in his teens, he earned money for college by repairing electrical appliances and radios. He attended the University of Colorado and received a B.S. in engineering physics in 1949 then went on to do graduate work at Stanford University, where he received an M.S. in electrical engineering in 1951 and a Ph.D. in physics in 1955. His doctoral thesis in experimental physics, taken under the direction of Willis Lamb, involved detailed microwave-optical measurements of fine structure splittings in excited helium atoms.

Maiman's ruby laser, based on a synthetic ruby crystal grown by Dr. Ralph L. Hutcheson, was first operated on May 16, 1960 at Hughes Research Laboratories in Malibu, California.

After leaving Hughes, Maiman joined Quantatron where he was in charge of laser activities. In 1962, Maiman became president of the newly formed Korad Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Union Carbide, which bought the laser assets owned by Quantatron. Korad was devoted to the research, development, and manufacture of lasers. All minority owned stock of Korad Corporation was exchanged for Union Carbide stock during the first five years. Not wishing to continue working for Union Carbide, Maiman formed Maiman Associates in 1968.

Due to his work on the laser, he was twice nominated for a Nobel Prize and was given membership in both the National Academies of Science and Engineering. He received the Oliver E. Buckley Prize in 1966. He was the recipient of the 1983/84 Wolf Prize in Physics, and was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame that same year. Besides, he received F&J. Hertz and Japan Prizes. Many universities awarded him honorary degrees. Maiman received his last honorary degree in 2002 from Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada. Maiman's laser was named an IEEE Milestone in 2010.

Maiman died from systemic mastocytosis on May 5, 2007 in Vancouver, Canada, where he lived with his wife Kathleen.