which celebrates 30 years of the world’s best physics magazine. James McKenzie reflects on the impact of the solid-state laser, a device in its infancy when it became the subject of one of the first ...

A. Shashkin et al. Progress in solid-state physics tends to occur in increments rather than leaps. Experimentalists perform measurements, and theorists refine their models based on the results.

One of the new divisions was the Solid State Physics group. Kelly suspected that solid state science might provide a new kind of amplifier to replace the vacuum tube in AT&T's phone system.