Timeline of United States inventions (1946–91) of the United States Geological Survey. 1960 Gas laser A gas laser is a laser in which an electric current is discharged through a gas to produce light. The first gas laser, the Helium-neon, was invented by William R. Bennett, Don Herriott, and Ali Javan in 1960. The first continuous visible gas laser, operating at 632.8 nm in the red, was invented by A. D. White and J. D. Rigden in 1962. 1961 Spreadsheet (electronic) 1961 Wearable computer 1961 Frozen carbonated beverage 1961 Biofeedback 1962 Communications satellite 1962 Chimney starter 1962 Light-emitting diode A light-emitting-diode (LED) is a semiconductor diode
Light-emitting diode sealed enclosure with a shape similar to lamps they were designed to replace (e.g. a bulb) and filled with inert nitrogen or carbon dioxide gas to remove heat efficiently. The current–voltage characteristic of an LED is similar to other diodes, in that the current is dependent exponentially on the voltage (see Shockley diode equation). This means that a small change in voltage can cause a large change in current. If the applied voltage exceeds the LED's forward voltage drop by a small amount, the current rating may be exceeded by a large amount, potentially damaging or destroying the LED. The