Recollections of the
First Continuous
Visible Laser
Alan D. White
Courtesy of Alan White
Alan White worked as a member of the technical staff at Bell Labs
during its heyday for industrial research. Here, he recalls his work
with Dane Rigden to develop the first continuous visible helium-neon laser in 1962—and how the project evolved from covert
weekend tinkering to the talk of the lab.
October 2011 | 35
1047-6938/11/10/34/6-$15.00 ©OSA
