TUNABLE CAVITY RESONATOR WITH RAMP SHAPED SUPPORTS

A cavity for a hydrogen maser is disclosed consisting of three parts which provide highly stable mechanical and thermal expansion characteristics for the cavity and ease of tuning. The three parts which are made of a "glass ceramic" material having a very small thermal expansion coefficient ( alpha of +/-0.5x107 in/in/ DEG C over 0 DEG -38 DEG C) include 1) a top plate, 2) a cylinder with three interrupted helical ramps at its bottom and 3) a base which includes a bottom plate and three ramp lugs on which the helical ramps of the cylinder rest when the cylinder is placed on the base with the bottom plate in the cylinder. Cavity tuning is achieved by rotating the cylinder and thereby raising or lowering it on the base, which results in changing the cylinder volume by changing the distance between the bottom and top plates.