Charles Hard Townes (born 28.07.1915)-an American physicist, one of the founders of quantum electronics, member of the National Academy of Sciences (1956). Born in Greenville. He graduated from Furman University (1935) and the California Institute of Technology (1939). In 1939 — 47 he worked at the Bell Telephone Laboratories, in 1948 — 61 at Columbia University (from 1950 as professor), in 1961—66 he was professor and president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and from 1967 professor at the University of California.
His work was in microwave spectroscopy, quantum electronics, the creation of lasers and masers and their applications, nonlinear optics, and radio and infrared astronomy. Independently of N. G. Basov and A. M. Prokhorov he developed the principles of the amplification and generation of electromagnetic radiation in quantum devices, building in 1954 the first quantum generator — the molecular generator on ammonia. In 1958, together with A. Schawlow, he proposed the principle of operation of the laser. He used lasers to test various effects of the theory of relativity with high precision, and also in medical and biological applications.
He discovered the stimulated Brillouin —Mandelstam effect, introduced the concept of the critical power of a beam (1964), predicted the effect of the self-focusing of a light beam (1964) and proposed self-focusing waveguides (1965). He observed the phenomenon of the autocollimation of light (1966).
For fundamental research in quantum radiophysics, which led to the creation of generators and amplifiers of a new type — masers and lasers — Townes, together with Basov and Prokhorov, was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1964. In 1969 he discovered the radiation of cosmic water molecules at a wavelength of 1.35 cm (the cosmic maser).
Member of a number of academies of sciences. President of the American Physical Society (1967). B. Rumford Medal (1961), T. Young Medal (1963), N. Bohr Gold Medal (1979) and others.