The earliest lasers created quite a sensation. Everybody wanted one and no laboratory was complete without a laser. Lasers were used to “zap” everything from cell cultures to razor blades. In fact, so many holes were burned in razor blades that during the early years, laser power was unofficially measured in Gillettes.

The laser was just a fascinating novelty when it was first introduced in the 1960’s. The problems which lasers could help to solve had yet to be discovered. This situation, however, quickly changed and within 20 years the sales of lasers exceeded one billion dollars. Today lasers are used in industry, medicine, research, art and entertainment, education, and military applications. Some of the main areas of laser use are in Tables 7 and 8.