Two silvered ruby parallelepipeds for maser
date: label: date made
content: 1957
name: label: associated user
content: Kikuchi, Chihiro
label: associated institution
content: University of Michigan
label: maker
content: Kikuchi, Chihiro
notes: label: Description
content: A set of nine silvered ruby cavities for initiating maser action in a maser radiometer. (Microwave Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation = MASER)
label: Description
content: .01: horizontal port on front where finish has been removed; "12.1381[?] / 014" penciled on back.
label: Description
content: .02: horizontal port on front where finish has been removed; hole in bottom; indistinct markings on back.
label: Description
content: .03: no obvious markings; vertical edges are milled.
label: Description
content: .04: horizontal port on front where finish has been removed; indistinct marking on back.
label: Description
content: .05: dot on bottom.
label: Description
content: .06: worn horizontal port on front where finish has been removed; finish worn from lower left corner.
label: Description
content: .07: horizontal port on bottom.
label: Description
content: .08: horizontal ports on front and back where finish has been removed.
label: Description
content: .09: horizontal port on front where finish has been removed.
label: Description
content: After the demonstration of the first ammonia beam maser by Charles Townes, other researchers turned to different materials. Synthetic ruby was one such solid material. In 1956 Chihiro Kikuchi began exploring the possibilities of a solid-state maser at the University of Michigan's Willow Run Laboratory. In 1957 he began using ruby in his experiments.
label: Description
content: Kikuchi determined that if the crystal's facings were cut to an angle of 54 degrees, 46 minutes, the ruby could generate maser action. Though other teams demonstrated solid-state masers using crystals of exotic materials before Kikuchi and his team, the success of the ruby maser on 20 December 1957 proved a milestone since ruby was easier to obtain and to work with.
label: Description
content: These nine ruby maser crystals from Kikuchi's research are silvered and cut into parallelepiped shape and were made for use in a maser radiometer. For more information see Lisa Bromberg's book, <i>The Laser in America</i>.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
topic: label: Subject
content: Laser
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Electricity
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: from the University of Michigan Institute of Science & Technology, thru Dr. James T. Wilson
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: EM.330447
label: catalog number
content: 330447
label: accession number
content: 294063
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Maser
label: Object Name
content: maser crystal
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: .01: 7/8 in x 3/8 in x 1/8 in; 2.2225 cm x .9525 cm x .3175 cm
label: Measurements
content: .02: 7/8 in x 1/2 in x 1/8 in; 2.2225 cm x 1.27 cm x .3175 cm
label: Measurements
content: .03: 3/4 in x 1/2 in x 1/2 in; 1.905 cm x 1.27 cm x 1.27 cm
label: Measurements
content: .04: 1/2 in x 3/8 in x 3/16 in; 1.27 cm x .9525 cm x .46355 cm
label: Measurements
content: .05: 3/8 in x 1/4 in x 1/8 in; .9525 cm x .635 cm x .3175 cm
label: Measurements
content: .06: 11/16 in x 1/2 in x 1/4 in; 1.74625 cm x 1.27 cm x .635 cm
label: Measurements
content: .07: 5/16 in x 1/4 in x 1/8 in; .79375 cm x .635 cm x .3175 cm
label: Measurements
content: .08: 1/2 in x 1/2 in x 1/8 in; 1.27 cm x 1.27 cm x .3175 cm
label: Measurements
content: .09: 7/8 in x 1/2 in x 1/8 in; 2.2225 cm x 1.27 cm x .3175 cm