Abstract
Various generation mechanisms have capabilities in the far-infrared radiation; the merits and limitations of these are discussed in the chapter. Contemporary hot-body radiators are generally gas discharge tubes. In this form they are relatively simple devices, which generate an extensive spectrum, from which usable narrow bands of radiation can be selected with diffraction gratings or interferometer filters. A new method of harmonic generation has recently been developed by Froome at the National Physical Laboratory, England. This device emerged from Froome's discovery of the high current densities at the cathode spot of a narrow electric arc, and the realization by Bleaney that the nonlinearity of such an arc might provide a mechanism of harmonic conversion. The most valued role of the magnetron is as a generator of microsecond-long pulses. In schemes somewhat different from the harmonic multipliers, relativistic electrons have been studied as Doppler frequency multiplier. It has been found that masers can generate milliwatts of power as harmonics of the cyclotron frequency, it is therefore likely that extensions deeper into the far-infrared can be achieved with somewhat lower magnetic fields.
Published Version
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