Generation of high-power nanosecond pulses in a relativistic backward-wave oscillator in the regime of spatial accumulation of energy

Abstract

We study the generation of electromagnetic pulses with a carrier frequency of 3.7 GHz in a relativistic backward-wave oscillator with a long slow-wave system in the superradiance regime of super-radiation for a magnetic induction of 0.2 T (below the cyclotron resonance). To decrease transverse velocities of the electrons, we use decompression of a hollow electron beam. Decompression in combination with a sharp leading edge of the high-voltage pulse (460 kV) applied to the explosive-emission cathode are used for increasing the cathode lifetime and improving the azimuthal uniformity of the beam. As a result, the achieved peak power of the microwave radiation amounts to 800 MW for a pulse duration of 2.5 ns and a repetition rate of 100 Hz. The uninterrupted operation in such a regime determined by the lifetime of the explosive-emission cathode is increased up to 105–106 pulses. The efficiency of conversion of the electron-beam power into the electromagnetic-wave power is increased up to 50%, The possibility of locking the electromagnetic oscillations phase by a sharp edge of the high-voltage pulse at the cathode was observed for the first time in such a relativistic generator.