Linear Analysis of a Cyclotron Autoresonance Maser (CARM) Operating in a Transverse Magnetic Mode

Abstract

In the fast-wave devices like gyrotron, gyro-peniotron and cyclotron autoresonance maser (CARM) that generate millimeter and sub-millimeter waves, the transverse dimensions of the resonator and the output cylindrical waveguide become small. In order to prevent loss of electrons and thermal loading of the rf structure, the electron beam must be kept relatively far from the walls. The latter requirement demands smaller transverse dimensions of the helical electron beam as well. In this paper linear formulation of a CARM operating in a general transverse-magnetic (TM) mode is derived, and a detailed analysis of the influences of the parameters is presented for the TM1,1 mode CARM. It is found that, compared to the TE1,1 mode which is often employed in gyrotron traveling wave tube (gyro-TWT) and CARM experiments, the TM1,1 mode has a greater eigen value and consequently leads to a greater waveguide radius for a given cutoff wave number, and also, allows the electron beam to be settled close to the waveguide axis to have a small transverse dimension. Results show that a TM-mode CARM can reach high power and ultrahigh gain, just as a TE-mode CARM or a TE-mode gyro-TWT does.