Abstract
The idea of a device using quantum transitions induced in molecules by a radiation field to achieve microwave amplification by stimulated emission of radiation, now familiarly known by the acronym maser,was first described by Gordon, Zeiger, and Townes, of Columbia University (Gordon et al., 1954) and independently proposed by Basov and Prokhorov, of the Lebedev Institute for Physics, in 1954. Townes, Basov, and Prokhorov shared the 1964 Nobel Prize in physics, “for fundamental work in the field of quantum electronics, which has led to the construction of oscillators and amplifiers based on the maser—laser principle.”
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1998 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Major, F.G. (1998). Atomic and Molecular Oscillators: Masers. In: The Quantum Beat. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-2923-8_10
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-2923-8_10
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4757-2925-2
Online ISBN: 978-1-4757-2923-8
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive