Maser - definition
Maser - definition
Maser (Microwave Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) is a device that generates or amplifies electromagnetic radiation in the microwave range by forced emission of radiation, according to a principle formulated within quantum mechanics. It operates on a similar principle to a laser, but at much lower frequencies, typically in the microwave band or radio waves. A key element of the maser's operation is the phenomenon of occupancy inversion, i.e. obtaining a state in which the number of molecules or atoms in the excited state exceeds the number of molecules in the ground state.
In a classical maser system, atoms or molecules of an active amplifying medium - e.g. ammonia, rubidium or noble gases - are introduced into a resonant cavity, where induced emission of radiation takes place under the influence of an electromagnetic field. The emitted microwave waves are then coherently amplified, resulting in a strong signal with high phase and frequency homogeneity.
The maser was invented before laser and has played a key role in the development of quantum physics, microwave technology and radiometry. It finds applications in radio astronomy, time and frequency metrology, radar systems and in the construction of frequency standards with ultra-high stability. Due to their very low intrinsic noise, masers are also used as signal amplifiers in sensing devices such as receivers of signals from distant space probes or quantum detectors in cryogenic systems. Contemporary research focuses on developing masers that operate at room temperature and on their integration with photonics and spintronics technologies.
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