Atomic Hydrogen Maser Active Oscillator Cavity and Bulb Design Optimization

H.E. Peters, P.J. Washburn

Abstract:	The performance characteristics and reliability of the active oscillator atomic hydrogen maser depend upon "oscillation parameters" which characterize the interaction region of the maser: the resonant cavity and atom storage bulb assembly. With particular attention to use of the cavity frequency switching servo (1) to reduce cavity pulling, it is important to maintain high oscillation level, high atomic beam flux utilization efficiency, small spin exchange parameter and high cavity quality factor. It is also desirable to have a small and rigid cavity and bulb structure and to minimize the cavity temperature sensitivity. In this paper we present curves for a novel hydrogen maser cavity configuration which is partially loaded with a quartz dielectric cylinder and show the relationships between cavity length, cavity diameter, bulb size, dielectric thickness, cavity quality factor, filling factor and cavity frequency temperature coefficient. The results are discussed in terms of improvement in maser performance resulting from particular design choices.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 16th Annual Precise Time and Time Interval Systems and Applications Meeting November 27 - 29, 1984 NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland
Pages:	313 - 338
Cite this article:	Peters, H.E., Washburn, P.J., "Atomic Hydrogen Maser Active Oscillator Cavity and Bulb Design Optimization," Proceedings of the 16th Annual Precise Time and Time Interval Systems and Applications Meeting, Greenbelt, Maryland, November 1984, pp. 313-338.
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