Proposal for a cyclotron resonance maser in InSb

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Abstract
A scheme for amplifying cyclotron resonance radiation in InSb is outlined. To obtain amplification two requirements must be satisfied. The first is that the electron velocity distribution be monoenergetic. Such distributions can be produced by photoexciting electrons in cold p-type InSb. Detailed calculations show that, with a reasonable electron density, the distribution remains monoenergetic throughout the electron lifetime. The second requirement for amplification is that stimulated absorption of cyclotron radiation be inhibited as compared to stimulated emission. This criterion is met by producing the photoelectrons at an energy just below that of the optical phonon in InSb. As a consequence, the stimulated absorption line is broad compared to that for emission, so the latter predominates. Numerical estimates indicate that there is a reasonable chance of producing a far infrared amplifier based upon this technique.