Room-temperature solid-state masers as low-noise amplifiers to facilitate deep-space missions using small spacecraft

TL;DR

This paper reviews recent advances in room-temperature solid-state masers, evaluating their potential as low-noise amplifiers for deep-space communication with small spacecraft, highlighting current capabilities and limitations.

Contribution

It provides a comparative analysis of various solid-state maser media for potential use in low-noise deep-space communication amplifiers at room temperature.

Findings

Pc:PTP offers good power but has thermal issues.

DAP:PTP may reduce threshold power.

NV Diamond can operate continuously but with limited power output.

Abstract

An increasing number of small ventures are launching missions to space with small volume satellite platforms. These small spacecraft are now being seriously considered for deep-space missions, creating a need for ground stations capable of detecting the faint signals they will transmit to Earth. Here, recent developments in room-temperature solid-state masers are reviewed to determine their readiness for use as a cheap low-noise amplifier for deep-space communications. Masers based on Pentacene-doped Para-terphenyl (Pc:PTP), Pentacene-doped Picene, Diazapentacene-doped Para-Terphenyl (DAP:PTP), Phenazine/1,2,4,5-Tetracyanobenzene (PNZ/TCNB) co-crystal, NV Diamond, Cuprous Oxide, and Silicon Carbide are considered for comparison. Pc:PTP offers good spin polarisation density and output power but suffers from thermal dissipation problems, DAP:PTP may help to obtain a lower threshold power than that achieved with Pentacene, PNZ/TCNB stands out in spin polarization density but has not achieved room-temperature masing, and NV Diamond is the only medium to have sustained continuous operation but has very limited power output. The other gain media proposed offer theoretical advantages but have not been tested in a working maser device.