Stability of a 95-GHz slotted third-harmonic gyro-TWT amplifier

A low-magnetic-field moderate-voltage gyrotron amplifier has been designed for stable high-performance operation at 95 GHz. A slotted interaction circuit is utilized to achieve strong amplification near the third cyclotron harmonic frequency. The start-oscillation conditions were determined by an analytical theory and confirmed by a multimode particle-in cell simulation code. The dominant threat to the amplifier's stability is from a third-harmonic peniotron backward-wave interaction. A slow-timescale particle-tracing simulation code predicts the three-section slotted third-harmonic gyro-TWT, which utilizes an 11.6-kG magnet and a 50-kV 3-A υ_⊥/υ_z=1.4 axis-encircling electron beam with an axial velocity spread of 6% will yield an output power of 30 kW with an efficiency of 20%, a saturated gain of 40 dB, and a constant-drive bandwidth of 2%     

Stable high-power TE01 gyro-TWT amplifiers

The stability of high power gyro-TWT amplifiers operating in the low-loss TE₀₁ mode of cylindrical waveguide has been studied, Linear theory has been used to determine the threshold start-oscillation beam current for absolute instability in the operating mode and the critical section lengths for the dominant gyro-BWO interactions occurring at various cyclotron harmonics in other waveguide modes. The performance of the amplifier was evaluated with a nonlinear, self-consistent slow-timescale simulation code. Utilizing interaction sections whose lengths are less than the threshold start-oscillation length and are separated by attenuating severs for isolation, two stable three-section devices have been designed which are predicted to yield: (1) a peak output power of 230 kW at 35 GHz with an efficiency of 23%, a saturated gain of 46 dB and a constant-drive bandwidth of 6% for a 100 kV, 10 A electron beam with an α=ν_⊥ /ν_z =1.0 and an axial velocity spread Δν_z/ν_z=5% and (2) 105 kW at 94 GHz with 21% efficiency, 45 dB saturated gain and 5% constant-drive bandwidth for a similar 5 A electron beam. In addition, the design of the 0 dB input/output couplers and the MIG electron gun are given. Due to the low loss of the TE₀₁ mode, both of these amplifiers can be operated continuously     

Nonlinear analysis of high-harmonic slotted gyro-TWT amplifier

A nonlinear self-consistent simulation code is employed to investigate the behavior of the slotted gyrotron traveling-wave amplifier (gyro-TWT), in which an axis-encircling electron beam synchronously interacts with a high-order azimuthal mode in a magnetron-type waveguide. The efficiency of a fourth-harmonic device with an ideal 60 kV, 5 A beam is shown to reach 30% for α≡ν_⊥/ν_z=2. The growth rate for the π mode is roughly 25% larger than for the 2π mode. The efficiency increases for lower voltage and the device is found to be moderately sensitive to the radial spread of the beam's guiding center position and extremely sensitive to the axial velocity spread. For an ideal 60 kV, 5 A beam with α=1.5, the efficiency of a second-harmonic gyro-TWT is 42% and falls to 10% for an eighth-harmonic device. The design of a 35 GHz, 60 kV, 5A, α=1.5, eight-vane, fourth-harmonic gyro-TWT with 7% axial velocity spread is presented. It is predicted that this design will yield a peak output power of 90 kW, a peak efficiency of 30%, and 6.3% saturated bandwidth     

94-GHz 25-kW CW low-voltage harmonic gyrotron

A low-voltage second-harmonic gyrotron intended as a compact lightweight source has been designed and evaluated with a particle-tracing code and the particle-in-cell code MAGIC. The two codes are shown to be in good agreement when applied to a conventional fundamental-frequency gyrotron and also to the novel second-harmonic gyrotron. The 25-kW continuous wave (CW) 94-GHz gyrotron with a predicted conversion efficiency of 32% and device efficiency of 22.5% is driven by a 25-kV 4.5-A (υ_⊥/υ₂=1.5, Δυ_z/υ_z=7%) electron beam from a magnetron injection gun and employs a low-loss TE₀₂₁/TE₀₃₁ complex cavity for mode control. Although the 17-kG CW gyrotron will use a cryogen-free high-T_c superconducting magnet, a 94-GHz prototype will be tested at low duty with a conventional low-T_c superconducting magnet     

Dielectric-loaded wideband gyro-TWT

The bandwidth of a gyro-TWT (traveling-wave tube) can be widened by employing a dielectric-loaded waveguide to reduce the circuit's dispersion. Fast wave interaction allows the requirements on the beam's quality to be relaxed compared with slow wave interaction. A low-α (≡ν_⊥/ν_z) electron beam is chosen to avoid the absolute instability and minimize the possibility of dielectric charging. This device is investigated using a self-consistent single-mode, large-signal simulation based on a slow time scale formulation. Simulation results show that a constant drive bandwidth of 20% can be achieved for a 100 kV, 5 A electron beam with a velocity ratio of α=0.59 and an axial velocity spread of 2.0%. The growth rate is relatively low because of the low α of the electron beam. The design of a proof-of-principle experiment is described. The tube is expected to deliver a power of 80 kW from 9 to 11 GHz with 15% efficiency and a saturated gain of 30 dB. The performance of a single-anode magnetron injection gun designed to produce the required high-quality electron beam has been studied through simulation     

Operation of a stable 200-kW second-harmonic gyro-TWT amplifier

The experimental results are reported for a stable second-harmonic gyrotron traveling wave amplifier, which generated a record-breaking 207-kW output power based on the principle that the weaker harmonic interactions are more stable to spontaneous oscillations than at the fundamental, and therefore, capable of generating higher output power. The high-power amplifier was kept completely (zero-drive) stable by employing a mode-selective interaction circuit and web-matched directional input and output couplers, and choosing an amplifier interaction length shorter than the start-oscillation length for gyrotron backward-wave oscillations. The single-stage Ku-band amplifier utilized an 80-kV 20-A υ_⊥/υ_∥=1.1 electron beam from a magnetron injection gun and yielded an efficiency of 12.9%, an output phase variation of 10°/kV, a saturated bandwidth of 2.1%, a large-signal gain of 16 dB, and a detuned small-signal gain of 38 dB     

Slotted third-harmonic gyro-TWT amplifier experiment

The first operation of a slotted third-harmonic gyrotron traveling-wave amplifier is reported. The low-magnetic-field moderate-voltage gyrotron amplifier's 62-keV 2.5-A υ_⊥ /υ_∥=1.2 axis-encircling electron beam was supplied by a gyroresonant RF accelerator. The 10-GHz 1.3-kG single-section slotted third-harmonic amplifier is stable and yielded 12.5 dB of small signal gain with a bandwidth of 2.5%. The experiment was performed as a scaled proof-of-principle test of the 95-GHz multisection slotted amplifier under development at CPI (formerly Varian)     

Broadband operation of a Ka-band tapered gyro-traveling waveamplifier

A wideband low-voltage millimeter-wave gyro-traveling wave tube (gyro-TWT) amplifier operating in the TE₁₀ rectangular waveguide mode at the fundamental cyclotron frequency is under investigation, The device incorporates precise axial tapering of both the magnetic field and the interaction circuit for broadband operation. Experimental results of a wide (33%) instantaneous bandwidth with a small signal gain in excess of 20 dB and saturated efficiency of ~10% were achieved and shown to be in good agreement with the theory. Reflective instability due to multi-pass effects by mismatches was observed and characterized. Gain and efficiency have been limited by this reflective instability rather than by absolute instabilities which limit the performance of gyro-TWT's with uniform cross-section. The start-oscillation current in terms of the relevant experimental parameters such as the beam velocity ratio (α), magnetic field detuning and reflection coefficient has been measured and compared with theory. Measurements of the phase variation in terms of the RF frequency have shown that the phase varies ±30° from fitted linear phase line     

Stable 1 MW, third-harmonic gyro-TWT amplifier

The concept that the relatively weak harmonic gyro-TWT interactions allow high values of electron beam current for stable operation has been extended to design two extremely high power, 140 GHz, third-harmonic TE₃₁ gyro-TWT amplifiers. One device is driven by an axis-encircling electron beam from a cusp gun and the other employs a magnetron injection gun (MIG). These devices are predicted by a self-consistent nonlinear numerical simulation code to yield, respectively, output powers of 775 kW and 937 kW with 15.5% and 18.7% efficiency, saturated gains of 27 dB and 30 dB, and saturated bandwidths of % and 6.5%. The stability of the amplifiers is ensured by limiting the length of the interaction section(s) to the shortest starting oscillation length as determined by linear theory. The cylindrical waveguide circuits of both amplifiers have been sliced to suppress modes without a threefold azimuthal symmetry. The amplifier utilizing a MIG yields superior performance because the dominant competing interaction is minimized for the choice of the beam's guiding center radius. The advantages as well as limitations of this approach for high power microwave generation are also addressed     

Study of gain in C-band deflection cavities for afrequency-doubling magnicon amplifier

An experimental study of the gain between two half-wavelength, 5.7-GHz TM₁₁₀ mode pillbox cavities, separated by a quarter-wavelength drift space, and powered by a 170-A, 500-keV electron beam immersed in an 8.1-kG magnetic field is reported. These cavities constitute the first section of a planned multicavity deflection system, whose purpose is to spin up an electron beam to high transverse momentum (α≡υ⊥/υ_z⩾1) for injection into the output cavity of a frequency-doubling magnicon amplifier. A gain of ~15 dB was observed in the preferred circular polarization, at a frequency shift of approximately -0.18%, in the opposite circular polarization, at a frequency shift of approximately +0.06%. These results are in good agreement with theory     

W-Band Second-Harmonic Gyrotron Traveling Wave Amplifier with Distributed-Loss and Severed Structures

The second harmonic TE₀₂ gyrotron traveling wave amplifier (gyro-TWT) is a high-power, broadband, millimeter-wave amplifier with a low applied magnetic field. Mode-selective interaction circuits were applied to suppressing spurious oscillations. However, the mode-selective interaction circuit may perturb the operating mode in the gyro-TWT. A multi-stage gyro-TWT design with distributed-loss and severed structures is proposed to stabilize the amplification. This study presents a nonlinear analysis of typical oscillations, including absolute instability, gyrotron backward oscillation (gyro-BWO) and reflective oscillation. The lossy and severed sections of the multi-stage gyro-TWT seem to increase effectively the start-oscillation currents of the absolute instability, gyro-BWO, and reflection oscillation. The multi-stage gyro-TWT is predicted to yield a peak output power of 215 kW at 89.9 GHz with an efficiency of 14.3 %, a saturated gain of 60 dB and a bandwidth of 1.7 GHz for a 100 kV, 15 A electron beam with an axial velocity spread _z/ _z = 5%.     

Wave dispersion, growth rates, and mode converter analysis for asheet beam, hybrid-mode Cerenkov amplifier

The hybrid-mode dispersion relation and resonant growth rates are solved for a finite-thickness sheet electron beam propagating through a rectangular guide with a thin dielectric slab. Analytic results for the growth rates, bandwidth and mode competition for an infinite magnetic field in the limit of a dilute beam are then presented. To properly couple to the desired EH₁₀ hybrid amplifier slow wave mode, the coupled waveguide mode equations are solved for a dielectric taper to accomplish the TE₁₀ to EH₁₀ mode transition. A piecewide linear taper which suppresses the competing EH₁₁ mode and other hybrid modes is developed and the overall amplifier system is discussed     

Theory and experiment of ultrahigh-gain gyrotron traveling waveamplifier

Physics and technology issues of importance to the high-gain gyrotron traveling wave amplifier (gyro-TWT) are investigated in theory and experiment. The gyro-TWT is known to be highly susceptible to spurious oscillations, especially in high gain operations. In the current study, oscillations of various origins are classified and characterized with detailed theoretical modeling. They are shown to be intricately connected to the interplay between the absolute/convective instabilities, circuit losses, and reflective feedback. Knowledge of these processes leads to the concept of an ultra high gain scheme which employs distributed wall losses for the suppression of spurious oscillations. A proof-of-principle Ka-band gyro-TWT experiment stable at zero drive has produced 93 kW saturated peak power at 26.5% efficiency and 70 dB gain, with a 3 dB saturated output power bandwidth of 3 GHz. The saturated gain is more than 30 dB beyond that previously achieved     

High-power harmonic gyro-TWT's. II. Nonlinear theory and design

For pt.I, see ibid., vol.20, no.3, p.155-162 (1992). Based on an analytical study of the stability problems of gyrotron traveling wave amplifiers (gyro-TWTs), an extremely high power second-harmonic gyro-TWT has been designed, evaluated and optimized with a self-consistent nonlinear numerical simulation code. The design, which is based on the magnetron-injection-gun (MIG)-type beam, is presented. Using a 100 kV, 25 A MIG beam with α=1 and an axial velocity spread of 5%, nonlinear self-consistent analysis of a three-stage second-harmonic gyro-TWT amplifier predicts a peak output power of 533 kW, peak efficiency of 21.3% and a 7.4% saturated bandwidth, which verifies the theoretical predictions that a stable harmonic gyro-TWT can generate power levels an order of magnitude higher than those possible from a fundamental gyro-TWT. It is shown that the positioning of the electron beam is very important. A multistage structure is used to recover the loss in gain resulting from shortening the interaction sections to ensure stability     

GAIN AND BANDWIDTH ANALYSIS OF A VANE-LOADED GYRO-TWT

Theoretical investigation of the peak-gain and 3-dB bandwidth of the vane-loaded gyro-traveling wave tube (gyro-TWT) amplifier in the small-orbit TE₀₁ waveguide mode configuration at 35 GHz has been presented. The vane-loaded gyro-TWT enjoys higher gain and bandwidth compared to that of the smooth-wall device. In the analysis, the azimuthal harmonic effects generated due to the angular periodicity of vanes in the wedge-shaped metal vane-loaded cylindrical waveguide interaction structure have been taken into account in the cold (beam-absent) dispersion relation only.     

High-gain wide-band gyrotron traveling wave amplifier with a helically corrugated waveguide

First bandwidth measurements of a novel gyrotron amplifier are presented. The coupling between the second harmonic cyclotron mode of a gyrating electron beam and the radiation field occurred in the region of near infinite phase velocity over a broad bandwidth by using a cylindrical waveguide with a helical corrugation on its internal surface. With a beam energy of 185 keV, the amplifier achieved a maximum output power of 1.1 MW, saturated gain of 37 dB, linear gain of 47 dB, saturated bandwidth of 8.4 to 10.4 GHz ( 21% relative bandwidth), and an efficiency of 29%, in good agreement with theory.     

Preliminary Design of a Harmonic-doubling Gyrotron Traveling Wave Amplifier

This study proposes a Ka-band harmonic-doubling gyrotron traveling-wave amplifier (gyro- TWT), using distributed wall losses in the input stage and mode-selective interaction circuit in the output stage, to improve the stability of the amplification. Based on a large signal simulation code, a saturated peak power of 163 kW with an efficiency of 15.5%, a gain of 31.1 dB, and a 3 dB bandwidth of 0.9 GHz is predicted for the gyro-TWT driven by 70 kV, 15 A electron beam with a velocity ratio of 1.2 and velocity spread 5% at 33.2 GHz.     

Nonlinear Analysis of Coaxial Gyro-Travelling-Wave-Tube Amplifier

A set of nonlinear self-consistent equations in the electron guiding center coordinates is derived for the study of the behavior of the coaxial gyro-travelling-wave-tube (gyro-TWT) amplifier. It is found that the input signal grows faster and gets saturated earlier with the increasing of b/a (ratio of the inner to outer radius). Using an electron beam of 90kV, 10A and velocity ratio of 1.0 with 3% axial velocity spread, 275kW peak output power is obtained by calculation over the frequency range of 31.22–33.52GHz, the gain, efficiency and bandwidth are 47.4dB, 30.5% and 7.5%, respectively.     

倍频谐波回旋行波放大器的研究

 通过研究倍频谐波回旋行波放大器中电子束在调制区和漂移区中的群聚与在辐射区中的辐射,给出了器件各部分的最佳参数;同时在均匀波导管和引导场的情况下,运用低速率比的电子束获得了宽带输出。当电子束的电压为130kV、电流为20A、速率比为0.8以及纵向速度散度为1%时,模拟得到器件的饱和带宽至少可达到10%,峰值功率和增益分别为290k W和50dB,常数驱动带宽约9%。