MASER
The MASER (Microwave Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation), analogous to a laser but operating in the microwave range, was pioneered in the 1950s and achieved by manipulating spin states within paramagnetic impurities. A MASER consists of a resonant cavity and a gain medium that emits microwave radiation. The medium is composed of atoms or molecules with specific energy level transitions. These transitions can be stimulated by an external energy source, such as a high-frequency electromagnetic field, which causes the atoms or molecules to emit coherent microwave radiation.
The first MASER was demonstrated in 1953, but required significant cooling for operation. The first room temperature MASER was developed in 2012 using pentacene as the medium. The high potential of high-brightness solid-state masers, which have unparalleled performance as low-noise amplifiers, with yields many applications in medicine, radio astronomy, and data communication.
In the Sathian MaLT Group we are carrying out significant research into MASERs using both experimental techniques and simulation, completed using Finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method in Computer Simulation Technology microwave studio® (CST).
For more information on out MASER work, please check the publications page.