Academician Nikola Sabotinov presented his new book “The Laser” in “Prof. Marin Drinov” Hall at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. The book is devoted to one of the significant Bulgarian achievements in the field of laser science and technology: a copper bromide vapor laser. It was put into operation for the first time by Nikola Sabotinov in 1974 at the Institute of Solid State Physics of BAS. The copper bromide laser has been produced in Bulgaria, Australia and South Korea. For more than 30 years, it has been of interest to the needs of medicine, scientific research and laser technologies.
During the study of the laser, a discovery of great importance has been made, indicating that small amounts of hydrogen in its active medium increase the radiation output and efficiency twice. This effect has quickly found worldwide application in the development of powerful copper lasers. It is used for the needs of laser nuclear research at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the United States, and at the Toshiba Nuclear Center in Japan. The Bulgarian invention of copper bromide laser is patented in Bulgaria, USA, UK, France, Germany, Japan and Australia.
The scientific publications of Bulgarian researchers dedicated to metal-vapor lasers are highly valued abroad and have entered the Laser Physics study programs at the University of Oxford, UK, and at Ibaraki University, Japan. The international recognition of Bulgarian scientific research and applied results described in the book is expressed in the opinion of world-renowned scientists from Great Britain, USA, Japan, Russia and Bulgaria.
The Academicians Yachko Ivanov, Angel Popov and Petar Atanasov spoke during the presentation of the unique achievement of Academician Sabotinov, which they identified as a wonderful example of innovation in Bulgarian physics.
Academician Nikola Sabotinov addressed the young people in particular, who attended the presentation, to have hope for realization in Bulgaria. He announced that he was donating copies of his book to the library of the Sofia Mathematical High School and to all of the country’s natural-mathematical high schools that were interested.
The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the General Academic Seminar “Contemporary Problems of Science”, the Institute of Solid State Physics of BAS and “Prof. Marin Drinov” Publishing House of BAS were the organizers of the event.
