Which early 20th-century theory underlies the phenomenon of coherent light amplification?

Answer

Albert Einstein’s theory of stimulated emission

The fundamental scientific principle enabling the laser effect, which is the amplification of coherent light, originates from a theory developed by Albert Einstein in the early part of the 20th century. This theory describes the phenomenon of stimulated emission, wherein an incoming photon causes an excited atom to release a second photon that is identical to the first, leading to coherence and amplification, provided a population inversion is established. This theoretical groundwork was the essential physics upon which later developments, like the optical maser proposal by Townes and Schawlow, and Maiman's eventual success, were built. It is the quantum mechanical basis for all laser operation.

Which early 20th-century theory underlies the phenomenon of coherent light amplification?

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The world's first laser was successfully operated by Theodore Maiman

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