Lab History - Research Accomplishments

The Columbia Center for Integrated Science and Engineering, earlier known as the Columbia Radiation Laboratory, has made many key scientific breakthroughs since its inception post World War II. Below are a few of the accomplishments of the Center.

• Microwave tube development employed in the development of radar during World War II.
• Invention of the MASER and development of the basic ideas for extension of this long wavelength device to short wavelengths through the creation of the laser, now used extensively in communications, medicine, and defense.
• Development of molecular beam techniques useful in the manufacture of electronic devices, via molecular beam epitaxy for example.
• Infrared and visible laser diagnostic techniques for studying plasma and solid materials which are being used in the semiconductor industry.
• Spin-echo techniques developed at by the Hartmann group are now a widespread laser spectroscopic technique.
• Laser processing of semiconductor materials is now widely used in various parts of the electronics industry.