Development history of the laser

An attempt is made at objectively assessing the contribution which Soviet scientists made to laser physics becoming what it has become and which the author believes is underestimated abroad. Together with the concept of induced radiation, the three-level method and the open resonator were to become cornerstone proposals for laser physics, as were semiconductor active media, carrier injection through the p–n junction, double heterostructure lasers and laser thermonuclear fusion.