Kumar Patel (born 2.07.1938) is an American physicist and a member of the National Academy of Sciences. Born in Baramati (India). In 1958 he graduated from the University of Pune and in 1959 from Stanford University. From 1961 he has worked at the Bell Telephone Laboratories (from 1970 director of the electronics laboratory, from 1976 director of the physical research laboratory).
His work was devoted to quantum and applied electronics (the development and creation of lasers, laser technology), infrared spectroscopy of gases and solids, laser spectroscopy and nonlinear optics. In 1964 he built the first carbon dioxide laser (a molecular laser), and in 1965 created a molecular laser with a power of ~10 W and an efficiency of 10%, which was then a great achievement. In 1966 he created a laser of increased power using a mixture of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, and also a spin-flip laser. He proposed (1970) a method of stimulated scattering in a semiconductor placed in a magnetic field for tuning the laser frequency.
A member of the National Academy of Engineering and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. The W. Coblentz and V. Zworykin Medals and others.