May 5, 2026 Cal Poly Students Build University’s First Laser: ‘A Rare and Valuable Skill’ (opens in new tab)

Contact: Nick Wilson | (805) 235-8008 | nwilso28@calpoly.edu The device was built under the guidance of a Physics Department faculty expert SAN LUIS OBISPO — Cal Poly students have built the first solid-state laser in the university’s 125-year history. Undergraduate students collaborated with Isinsu Toker, an assistant professor of physics in Bailey College, to construct a titanium-sapphire laser from scratch. The tunable laser, which emits red and near-infrared light, was constructed over th...