Journal of the Physical Society of Japan
Three-Level Maser Action in Gas II. Experimental Study on Formic Acid
Tatsuo Yajima
Abstract
The quantum mechanical behavior of the three-level maser was experimentally studied using the rotational spectrum of HCOOH molecule at microwave frequencies. By using the 2 11 ←1 10 line at the frequency of 46581 Mc as the pumping, the induced emission of the 2 11 →2 12 line at the frequency of 4916 Mc was obtained. For a strong pumping, the splitting of emission line due to resonant modulation effect was observed. The line-shape of emission signal under off-resonant pumping was studied in detail. The emission spectrum due to simultaneous emission and absorption of two photons corresponding to the signal and the pumping was observed for the condition of far off-resonant pumping. The results were compared with the theory described in the previous paper, and was found to be in good agreement in many respects. Some discrepancies concerning emission intensity are also discussed. An application of the multiple quantum transition to a four-level system of HC·OOH is described.