DIAMOND MASER AND MICROWAVE AMPLIFIER

• US 20170077665A1
• Filed: 09/09/2016
• Published: 03/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chinese University of Hong Kong
• Original Assignee: Chinese University of Hong Kong
• Inventors: Liu, Renbao, Jin, Liang
• Granted Patent: US 9,966,720 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 1/005 using a relativistic beam of charged particles, e.g. electron cyclotron maser, gyrotron
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 1/02 solid
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/0326 by an electromagnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/0602 Crystal lasers or glass lasers H01S3/063 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/163 characterised by a crystal matrix
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 4/00 Devices using stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation in wave ranges other than those covered by groups H01S1/00, H01S3/00 or H01S5/00, e.g. phonon masers, X-ray lasers or gamma-ray lasers

Abstract

Masers and microwave amplifiers that can function in the continuous-wave mode at room temperature are provided. The maser system can include a diamond gain medium having nitrogen-vacancy centers, and a resonator can be disposed around the gain medium. The resonator can be disposed in a cavity box, and radiation (e.g., visible light) can be provided to the gain medium to cause emission of microwave radiation.

Claims

1. A maser system, comprising:

a gain medium;

a resonator disposed around the gain medium;

a cavity box disposed around the resonator; and

a magnet array disposed around the gain medium,

wherein the gain medium comprises diamond having a plurality of nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers.

2. The maser system according to claim 1, wherein the diamond having a plurality of NV centers is a single-crystal diamond.

3. The maser system according to any of claim 1, wherein the resonator is a sapphire dielectric resonator, and wherein the magnet array has an annulus shape.

4. The maser system according to claim 1, further comprising a support substrate on which the resonator is disposed, wherein the support substrate is disposed within the cavity box.

5. The maser system according to claim 1, wherein the system has a cavity Q factor of at least 10,000.

6. The maser system according to claim 1, wherein the NV concentration within the diamond gain medium is less than 100 parts per million (ppm).

7. The maser system according to claim 1, wherein the cavity box includes an opening to receive radiation, and

wherein the maser system further comprises an optical pump disposed outside the cavity box and configured to provide electromagnetic radiation to the gain medium through an opening in the cavity box.

8. The maser system according to claim 7, wherein the optical pump is an optical laser, and wherein the electromagnetic radiation is visible light.

10. A method of providing microwave amplification, comprising:

providing the maser system according to claim 1; and

providing electromagnetic radiation to the maser system, thereby causing the maser system to emit microwave radiation.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the maser system operates in continuous-wave mode at room temperature, and wherein a power gain of the maser system is at least 6 dB.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the electromagnetic radiation is pumped into the cavity box of the maser system at a pump rate that is higher than the decay rate, and wherein the cavity Q factor of the maser system is at or above a masing threshold of the maser system, such that the maser system operates as a maser.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the electromagnetic radiation is pumped into the cavity box of the maser system at a pump rate that is higher than the decay rate, and wherein the cavity Q factor of the maser system is below a masing threshold of the maser system, such that the maser system operates as a microwave amplifier.

9. The maser system according to any of embodiments 1, wherein the magnet array provides a homogenous magnetic field to the gain medium, and wherein the homogenous magnetic field is at least 1,028 Gauss.

14. A maser system, comprising:

a gain medium;

a resonator disposed around the gain medium; and

a cavity box disposed around the resonator,

wherein the gain medium comprises diamond having a plurality of nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers.

15. The maser system according to claim 14, wherein the diamond having a plurality of NV centers is a single-crystal diamond, wherein the system has a cavity Q factor of at least 10,000, and wherein the NV concentration within the diamond gain medium is less than 100 parts per million (ppm).

16. The maser system according to claim 14, wherein the cavity box includes an opening to receive radiation, wherein the maser system further comprises an optical pump disposed outside the cavity box and configured to provide electromagnetic radiation to the gain medium through an opening in the cavity box, wherein the optical pump is an optical laser, and wherein the electromagnetic radiation is visible light.

17. A method of providing microwave amplification, comprising:

providing the maser system according to claim 14; and

providing electromagnetic radiation to the maser system, thereby causing the maser system to emit microwave radiation.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the maser system operates in continuous-wave mode at room temperature, and wherein a power gain of the maser system is at least 6 dB.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the electromagnetic radiation is pumped into the cavity box of the maser system at a pump rate that is higher than the decay rate, and wherein the cavity Q factor of the maser system is at or above a masing threshold of the maser system, such that the maser system operates as a maser.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein the electromagnetic radiation is pumped into the cavity box of the maser system at a pump rate that is higher than the decay rate, and wherein the cavity Q factor of the maser system is below a masing threshold of the maser system, such that the maser system operates as a microwave amplifier.