Gordon Gould

Gordon Gould
Born
Richard Gordon Gould[1]

(1920-07-17)July 17, 1920
DiedSeptember 16, 2005(2005-09-16) (aged 85)
New York City
NationalityAmerican
Alma materUnion College, New York (BS)
Yale University (MS)
Columbia University (PhD)
Known forLaser, patent law
Scientific career
FieldsPhysics
InstitutionsNYU Poly

Richard Gordon Gould (July 17, 1920 – September 16, 2005) was an American physicist who is sometimes credited with the invention of the laser and the optical amplifier. (Credit for the invention of the laser is disputed, since Charles Townes and Arthur Schawlow were the first to publish the theory and Theodore Maiman was the first to build a working laser). Gould is best known for his thirty-year fight with the United States Patent and Trademark Office to obtain patents for the laser and related technologies. He also fought with laser manufacturers in court battles to enforce the patents he subsequently did obtain.

  1. ^ Bernstein, Adam (2005-09-20). "Laser Pioneer Gordon Gould Dies at 85". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-02-02.