Oral-History:Izuo Hayashi
About Izuo Hayashi
Izuo Hayashi received his education from Tokyo University’s physics department in 1945. He played a key role in the development of the laser by discovering high luminescence in the aluminum gallium arsenide laser, and worked on achieving continuous-wave operation of this laser at different temperatures. Hayashi was interested early in life by physics and the movement of stones on flat ice; after working during World War II on microwaves and the detection of the US B-29 bomber, he became interested in light waves, which led him to work on laser technology. The tiny lasers Hayashi helped to develop are now used in long-distance communication in trans-continental telephone cables.
Hayashi begins the interview by describing his work on the aluminum gallium arsenide laser, and discusses testing its performance at certain temperature thresholds. He goes on to describe various applications of lasers in general in medicine and communications. Finally, Hayashi describes his intellectual development in Japan and how he came to work on lasers. The interview concludes with his thoughts on some of the surprising developments in the use of laser technology and a brief mention of the time he spent living in Murray Hill, NJ.
About the Interview
IZUO HAYASHI: An Interview Conducted by Robert Colburn, IEEE History Center, 20 May 2004
Interview # 441 for the IEEE History Center, The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc., and Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Copyright Statement
This manuscript is being made available for research purposes only. All literary rights in the manuscript, including the right to publish, are reserved to the IEEE History Center. No part of the manuscript may be quoted for publication without the written permission of the Director of IEEE History Center.
Request for permission to quote for publication should be addressed to the IEEE History Center Oral History Program, Rutgers - the State University, 39 Union Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8538 USA. It should include identification of the specific passages to be quoted, anticipated use of the passages, and identification of the user.
It is recommended that this oral history be cited as follows:
Hayashi, Izuo, an oral history conducted in 2004 by Robert Colburn, IEEE History Center, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
Interview
Interview: Dr. Izuo Hayashi
Interviewer: Robert Colburn
Date: 20 May 2004
Place: via telephone to Hayashi's home in Tokyo, Japan
