MASER Power Comes out of the Cold: Solid-State MASER Can Operate
at Room Temperature ScienceDaily (Aug. 15, 2012) — Scientists
from the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and Imperial College
London demonstrate, for the first time, a solid-state 'MASER'
capable of operating at room temperature, paving the way for its
widespread adoption -- as reported in the journal Nature.
Conventional MASER technology works by amplifying microwaves
using crystals such as ruby -- this process is known as
'masing'. However, the MASER has had little technological impact
compared to the LASER because getting it to work has always
required extreme conditions that are difficult to produce;
either extremely low pressures, supplied by special vacuum
chambers and pumps, or freezing conditions at temperatures close
to absolute zero (-273.15 °C), supplied by special
refrigerators. To make matters worse, the application of strong
magnetic fields has often also been necessary, requiring large
magnets. Now, the team from NPL and Imperial