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)