Thin film maser emitter and thin panel phased array of emitters
A MASER (Microwave Amplified Stimulated Emission of Radiation) emitter is fabricated of thin film components, including a thin film of nitrogen-implanted, epitaxial crystal diamond. The MASER elements can also include a controllable Q-switching layer and be arranged in a thin panel, phased array to generate a single beam of coherent, mode-locked, continuous wave MASER radiation.
1. A MASER emitter capable of outputting coherent microwave energy, comprising:
a first dielectric polymer resonator layer;
a second dielectric polymer resonator layer;
a gain medium comprising a thin film epitaxial layer of nitrogen-implanted crystal diamond,
a Q-switch CCD controlled layer of nematic molecules located adjacent the gain medium, wherein the gain medium and the Q-switch are located between the first and second dielectric polymer resonator layers, said Q-switch being controllable between a high Q factor setting and a low Q factor setting;
an LED layer that outputs light that passes through at least the first dielectric polymer resonator layer to pump photons into the gain medium at a level sufficient to cause coherent microwave emission from the gain medium in continuous wave mode when the Q-switch is set to the high Q factor setting.
2. The MASER emitter recited in claim 1 further comprising a thermo-electric Peltier slab layer oriented adjacent the LED layer.
3. The MASER emitter recited in claim 2 wherein the thermo-electric Peltier slab layer is formed on an underlying substrate, the LED layer is formed on the thermo-electric Peltier slab layer, the first dielectric polymer resonator layer is formed on the LED layer, the Q-switch CCD controlled layer of nematic molecules is formed on the first dielectric polymer resonator layer, the thin film epitaxial layer of nitrogen-implanted crystal diamond is formed on the Q-switch CCD controlled layer of nematic molecules, and the second dielectric polymer resonator layer is formed on the thin film epitaxial layer of nitrogen-implanted crystal diamond.
4. A phased array comprising a plurality of MASER emitters as recited in claim 1 , each arranged in a two-dimensional array and each capable of emitting continuous wave, coherent microwave radiation, wherein the respective Q-switch layers are controlled to appropriately delay MASER emission from the respective MASER emitters in order to form a combined emission from the plurality of MASER emitters in the phased array that is a single mode-locked, beam of coherent, continuous wave MASER radiation.
5. The phased array comprising a plurality of MASER emitters recited in claim 4 wherein a first group of emitters are located in a first plane, and a second group of emitters are located in a second parallel plane and offset spatially from the first plane.
6. The phased array comprising a plurality of MASER emitters recited in claim 4 wherein the emitters are arranged in column and rows.
7. The phased array comprising a plurality of MASER emitters recited in claim 4 wherein the emitters are arranged in a circular pattern or a star pattern.
8. The phased array comprising a plurality of MASER emitters recited in claim 4 wherein the distribution of energy in the coherent, mode-locked continuous wave MASER radiation is orthogonally Gaussian.
9. The phased array comprising a plurality of MASER emitters recited in claim 8 wherein Gaussian orthogonality is achieved by adjusting the LED pump energy and coordinating the operation of the Q-switches.
10. The phased array comprising a plurality of MASER emitters recited in claim 4 wherein the thickness of the epitaxial gain medium is no less than 5 micron and no more than 40 microns.
11. The MASER apparatus recited in claim 4 wherein the Q-switches are controlled to adjust phase and frequency of the beam such that the beam includes a first characteristic frequency for a coupling component of the beam and a second characteristic frequency for a modulation component of the beam.
12. A MASER apparatus capable of outputting continuous wave, coherent microwave radiation, comprising:
a gain medium comprising a layer of nitrogen-implanted, epitaxial diamond;
a first resonator layer located on a first side of the layer of nitrogen-implanted, epitaxial diamond;
a second resonator layer located on a second side of the layer of nitrogen-implanted, epitaxial diamond; and
an LED that outputs light to pump photons into the gain medium at a level sufficient to cause continuous wave, coherent microwave emission.
13. The MASER apparatus recited in claim 12 wherein the layer of nitrogen-implanted, epitaxial diamond has a thickness of no greater than 40 microns.
14. The MASER apparatus recited in claim 13 wherein the nitrogen-implanted, epitaxial diamond has a thickness of no greater than 30 microns.
15. The MASER apparatus recited in claim 12 wherein the first resonator layer is a Spin Hall, spin torque oscillator.
16. The MASER apparatus recited in claim 12 wherein the second resonator is a lithographed chemical vapor deposited copper layer.
17. The MASER apparatus recited in claim 12 further comprising a heat sink thermally connected to the LED.
18. The MASER apparatus recited in claim 12 wherein the MASER apparatus operates between 29° C. and 43° C.
19. The MASER apparatus recited in claim 12 wherein the layer of nitrogen-implanted, epitaxial diamond is exposed to radiation by a beam of swift heavy ions during the fabrication process.
20. The MASER apparatus recited in claim 19 wherein the layer of nitrogen-implanted, epitaxial diamond is also exposed to radiation by a beam of low energy electrons during the fabrication process.