How much does a maser cost?

Each hydrogen maser costs about $300,000 and has a limited lifetime; but the stability of a time scale is a function of the square root of the number of clocks, meaning that a large number of masers is required to modestly improve performance.

How does a hydrogen maser work?

A hydrogen maser works by sending hydrogen gas through a magnetic gate that allows only atoms in certain energy states to pass through. The atoms that make it through the gate enter a storage bulb surrounded by a tuned, resonant cavity.

What are hydrogen masers used for?

A hydrogen maser, also known as hydrogen frequency standard, is a specific type of maser that uses the intrinsic properties of the hydrogen atom to serve as a precision frequency reference. Both the proton and electron of a hydrogen atom have spins.

What is hydrogen maser atomic clock?

The passive hydrogen maser clock is the master clock on board each satellite. It is an atomic clock which uses the ultra stable 1.4 GHz transition in a hydrogen atom to measure time to within 0.45 nanoseconds over 12 hours. A rubidium clock will be used as a second, technologically independent time source.

What is the full form of maser?

‘LASER’ stands for light Amplication by stimulated emission of radiation. ‘MASER’ stands for microwave Amplication by stimulated emission of radiation.

What are the two 2 types of atomic clock used in Galileo?

The Galileo satellites carry two types of clocks: rubidium atomic frequency standards and passive hydrogen masers.

Who investigated first maser device?

In 1958 Townes and Arthur Schawlow of Bell Laboratories in New Jersey proposed a system that would work at infrared and optical wavelengths [2] but it wasn’t until 1960 that the first light-emitting maser–which quickly became known as the laser–was constructed [3].

Which magnetic material is used in maser?

The search for more suitable materials revealed Ruby Maser, which is a crystalline form of silica (Al2O3) with slight natural doping of chromium. Ruby Maser has the advantages of being solid, having suitably arranged energy levels, and being paramagnetic, which virtually means “slightly magnetic.”

What is the difference between a laser and a maser?

The difference between a laser and a maser is that the photon from a laser comes in the form of visible light , while a photon from a maser comes in the form of a microwave .

How does rubidium clock work?

The vapor-cell atomic clock is an unpretentious device. Light from a small discharge lamp passes through a vapor of rubidium atoms housed in a glass cell and is detected by a photodiode. The light intensity transmitted by the vapor is used to lock the frequency of an RF signal to an atomic transition.

Who invented maser?

Charles H. Townes
Nikolay BasovAlexander Prokhorov
Maser/Inventors

Why is rubidium used in atomic clocks?

Rubidium clocks also make use of a hyperfine transition in the microwave region, and serve as secondary standards. However, their low cost, smaller size and greater stability make rubidium clocks ideal for many commercial applications including the Global Positioning System (GPS).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqH41XfFz4M