| Ali Mortimer Javan علی جوان |
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|---|---|
| Born | December 26, 1926 Tehran, Iran |
| Nationality | Iranian American |
| Fields | Physicist |
| Institutions | Columbia Bell Labs MIT |
| Alma mater | University of Tehran Columbia |
| Doctoral advisor | Charles Townes |
| Known for | Inventing the gas laser |
| Notable awards | Albert Einstein World Award of Science (1993) |
Ali Mortimer Javan (Persian: علی جوان - ‘Ali Javān, Azerbaijani: علی جوان - ‘Əli Cavan), born December 26, 1926 in Tehran, Iran is an Iranian American inventor and physicist at MIT. He co-invented the gas laser in 1960, with William R. Bennett.[1] Ali Javan has been ranked Number 12 on the list of the Top 100 living geniuses.[2]
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Born in Tehran to Iranian Azeri parents from Tabriz,[3] web-page of 'Farhang-Sara' Born in Tehran of Azerbaijani parentage, Javan came to the United States in 1949 where shortly afterwards he received his Ph.D. at Columbia University in New York City. He's been with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) since 1962. Javan graduated from Alborz High School, started his university studies at University of Tehran and continued at Columbia University after coming to the United States in 1948. He received his Ph.D. in physics in 1954. He joined Massachusetts Institute of Technology as an associate professor of physics in 1961 and has been a professor since 1964.
The gas laser was the first continuous-light laser and the first laser to operate "on the principle of converting electrical energy to a laser light output." By definition, "a gas laser is a laser in which an electric current is discharged through a gas to produce light." Ali Javan received U.S. patent #3,149,290 together with William Bennett for the "Gas Optical Maser". Ali Javan first tested his invention on December 12, 1960.
On December 13, 1960, the first telephone conversation using laser beam transmission occurred. Ali Javan describes the moment: "I put in a call to the lab. One of the team members answered and asked me to hold the line for a moment. Then I heard a voice [Mr. Balik], somewhat quivering in transmission, telling me that it was the laser light speaking to me."[5]
The gas laser laid the foundation for fiber optic communication. It is considered the most useful, practical and profitable type of laser in use today. Laser telecommunication via fiber optics is known to be the key technology used in today's Internet.[6] The gas laser is also used in:
In 1975, Professor Ali Javan received the most prestigious honor of Optical Society of America, the Frederic Ives Medal, with a citation that praised him for "producing an optical device (the Gas Laser) of unparalleled applicability to scientific research." In 1993, he received the Albert Einstein World Award of Science.
On May 6, 2006, Professor Ali Javan was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame, along with another MIT Professor, Robert Langer.