Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

Applied physics

Masers made easy

Nature volume 488, pages 285–286 (2012)Cite this article

Subjects

The technological potential of masers — the microwave equivalents of lasers — has been thwarted by their impractical operating conditions. A solid-state maser that works at room temperature may change that. See Letter p.353

Noise is an integral part of any electronic system, and it comes in many forms. We are all familiar with the noise that emerges from our radio when we try to listen to a distant station, or the 'snow-like' noise that appears on a detuned television screen. Scientists and engineers have been battling with noise for years, trying to make radio, television and mobile-phone communication better and clearer. In terms of noise reduction, however, the best performance is achieved only when electronic systems are operated at cryogenic temperatures. On page 353 of this issue, Oxborrow et al.1 describe a solid-state microwave source and amplifier that has an exceptionally low noise level and that operates at room temperature. The device may find applications in space communication, radio astronomy and microwave spectroscopy.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Get just this article for as long as you need it

$39.95

Learn more

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Pumping masers.

References

  1. Oxborrow, M., Breeze, J. D. & Alford, N. M. Nature 488, 353–356 (2012).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Penzias, A. A. & Wilson, R. W. Astrophys. J. 142, 419–421 (1965).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Schleeh, J. IEEE Electron. Device Lett. 33, 664–666 (2012).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Eom, B. H., Day, P. K., LeDuc, H. G. & Zmuidzinas, J. Nature Phys. 8, 623–627 (2012).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Aharon Blank is in the Schulich Faculty of Chemistry, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel.,

    Aharon Blank

Authors
  1. Aharon Blank
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Aharon Blank.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Blank, A. Masers made easy. Nature 488, 285–286 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/488285a

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/488285a

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing