Coaxial Relativistic Backward Wave Oscillator Research Articles

Highly efficient superradiant oscillator with front-extraction output in TE11 mode operating at low magnetic field

With a low guiding magnetic field, a highly efficient X-band coaxial superradiant relativistic backward wave oscillator (SR-RBWO) with a front-extraction cavity and a built-in mode converter is proposed in this paper. The coaxial structure is used to reduce the guiding magnetic field of the intense relativistic electron beam. To decrease the transmission loss of microwave power in the slow wave structure (SWS), a front-extraction cavity is introduced. The inner conductor of the coaxial SWS is hollowed out as the output waveguide, and then, the microwave is extracted by the front-extraction cavity and enters the hollow waveguide rather than re-enter the SWS to output. With this improvement, the power conversion factor K can be increased by 0.44 even more. Making use of the feature of longer SWSs of SR-RBWOs, a built-in mode converter is designed, which can convert the circular TM01 mode propagating in the output waveguide into the circular TE11 radiation mode that can be radiated into free space directly. Therefore, the length of the radiation system can be reduced significantly, which is beneficial to the miniaturization of the entire high-power microwave system. Particle-in-cell simulation demonstrates that with a diode voltage of 180 kV and a guiding magnetic field of 0.37 T, the output SR pulse with an average power of 1.00 GW corresponding to power conversion factor K = 1.8 can be obtained.

Experimental Research of X-Band Dual-Frequency Coaxial Relativistic Backward Wave Oscillator

The design and experimental demonstration of an X-band coaxial dual-frequency relativistic backward wave oscillator (CRBWO) with sectioned slow wave structures (SWSs) is presented. In this paper, we describe the experimental measurement methods of frequency, power and operation mode for the high-power microwave signal. In experimental tests, with a 500 kV, 11.5 kA beam guided by a 0.82 T magnetic field, a microwave with an average power of 507 MW and pulsewidth of 50 ns has been obtained. Also, the dominant frequencies of the X-band dual frequency are 9.845 GHz and 10.517 GHz, and the dual-frequency difference ${\Delta }{f}\approx {672}$ MHz, which was similar to the particle-in-cell simulation results. The operation mode of the device is determined to be TM01 mode in our experiment.

A 57GHz overmoded coaxial relativistic backward wave oscillator with high conversion efficiency and pure TM01 mode output

A 57GHz overmoded relativistic backward wave oscillator (RBWO) operating on the quasi-TEM mode with pure TM01 mode output is presented in this paper, by using outer trapezoidal slow wave structure (SWS) with large distance between inner and outer conductors. The large overmoded ratio can be obtained in coaxial devices to improve power handling capacity, while the large distance between inner and outer conductors can guarantee the electron beam transmit effectively. The 8π/9 mode of quasi-TEM synchronously interacts with the electron beam, while the TM01 mode diffracted by the quasi-TEM mode outputs. The existence of TM01 6π/9 mode in SWS can extract energy from the quasi-TEM mode (which has a high value of Qe) thus increasing the power handling capacity. Particle-in-cell simulation shows that generation with high power 560 MW and efficiency 43.5% is obtained under the diode voltage 520 kV and current 2.47 kA. And the microwave has the pure frequency spectrum of 56.8 GHz radiates in the pure TM01 mode (about 98%).

Investigation of a K-band large coaxial relativistic backward wave oscillator

A K-band large coaxial relativistic backward wave oscillator has been investigated by the 2.5-D particle-in-cell code. This device can generate high-power microwave at a constant frequency with a constant efficiency by increasing the radius of the electron beam and the average radius of the slow-wave structure. The simulation results show that the power conversion efficiency can reach 38.8% at the frequency of 25.48 GHz with the output power of 1.65 GW, while the electron beam has the energy of 196 kV and carries the current of 21.6 kA guided by the magnetic field of 2.5 T.

Effect of end reflections on conversion efficiency of coaxial relativistic backward wave oscillator

This paper theoretically investigates the effect of end reflections on the operation of the coaxial relativistic backward wave oscillator (CRBWO). It is found that the considerable enhancement of the end reflection at one end increases the conversion efficiency, but excessively large end reflections at both ends weaken the asynchronous wave-beam interaction and thus reduce the conversion efficiency. Perfect reflection at the post end significantly improves the interaction between the electron beam and the asynchronous harmonic so that the conversion efficiency is notably increased. Based on the theoretical research, the diffraction-CRBWO with the generated microwave diffracted and output through the front end of the coaxial slow wave structure cavity is proposed. The post end is conductively closed to provide the perfect reflection. This promotes the amplitude and uniformity of the longitudinal electric field on the beam transmission line and improves the asynchronous wave-beam interaction. In numerical simulations under the diode voltage and current of 450 kV and 5.84 kA, microwave generation with the power of 1.45 GW and the conversion efficiency of 55% are obtained at the frequency of 7.45 GHz.

The mechanism and realization of a band-agile coaxial relativistic backward-wave oscillator

The mechanism and realization of a band-agile coaxial relativistic backward-wave oscillator (RBWO) are presented. The operation frequency tuning can be easily achieved by merely altering the inner-conductor length. The key effects of the inner-conductor length contributing to the mechanical frequency tunability are investigated theoretically and experimentally. There is a specific inner-conductor length where the operation frequency can jump from one mode to another mode, which belongs to a different operation band. In addition, the operation frequency is tunable within each operation band. During simulation, the L-band microwave with a frequency of 1.61 GHz is radiated when the inner-conductor length is 39 cm. Meanwhile, the S-band microwave with a frequency of 2.32 GHz is radiated when the inner-conductor length is 5 cm. The frequency adjustment bandwidths of L-band and S-band are about 8.5% and 2%, respectively. Moreover, the online mechanical tunability process is described in detail. In the initial experiment, the generated microwave frequencies remain approximately 1.59 GHz and 2.35 GHz when the inner-conductor lengths are 39 cm and 5 cm. In brief, this technical route of the band-agile coaxial RBWO is feasible and provides a guide to design other types of band-agile high power microwaves sources.

Microwave generation enhancement of X-band CRBWO by use of coaxial dual annular cathodes

This paper presents an approach that greatly enhances both the output power and the conversion efficiency of the coaxial relativistic backward wave oscillator (CRBWO) by using coaxial dual annular cathodes, which increases the diode current rather than the diode voltage. The reasons for the maladjustment of CRBWO under a high diode voltage are analyzed theoretically. It is found that by optimization of the diode structure, the shielding effect of the space charge of the outer beams on the inner cathode can be alleviated effectively and dual annular beams with the same kinetic energy can be explosively emitted in parallel. The coaxial reflector can enhance the conversion efficiency by improving the premodulation of the beams. The electron dump on the inner conductor ensures that the electron beams continue to provide kinetic energy to the microwave output until they vanish. Particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation results show that generation can be enhanced up to an output power level of 3.63 GW and conversion efficiency of 45% at 8.97 GHz under a diode voltage of 659 kV and current of 12.27 kA. The conversion efficiency remains above 40% and the output frequency variation is less than 100 MHz over a voltage range of more than 150 kV. Also, the application of the coaxial dual annular cathodes means that the diode impedance is matched to that of the transmission line of the accelerators. This impedance matching can effectively eliminate power reflection at the diode, and thus increase the energy efficiency of the entire system.

Design and efficient operation of a coaxial RBWO

AbstractCoaxial relativistic backward wave oscillator with the rippled inner conductor not only increases the output efficiency but also results in the serious phenomenon of pulse shortening in experiments. Our research indicates that the two main mechanisms leading to the pulse shortening are the electron beam interruption and combining effects of the explosive field electron emission and the secondary electron multipactor on the surface of the slow-wave structure. In order to enhance its power capacity the electrodynamic structure is modified by detailed analysis of the field distribution in the coaxial slow-wave structure. The appropriate resonant reflector and the electron collector are developed for the application of the coaxial relativistic backward wave oscillator. A series of surface treatment is applied to enhance the power capacity of the coaxial RBWO. In the experiment, the microwave pulse duration is increased from less than 10 ns to 20 ns, and the output efficiency is enhanced from less than 20% to 34% employing the electron beam pulse of the full width at half maximum 28 ns. The peak power of 1.01 GW at the frequency of 7.4 GHz is achieved. It is found that the output efficiency of the coaxial RBWO is likely to be advanced if its power capacity can be boosted further.

单电子束双波段同轴相对论返波管粒子模拟

单电子束双波段同轴相对论返波管粒子模拟

An X-Band Dual-Frequency Coaxial Relativistic Backward-Wave Oscillator

An X-band dual-frequency coaxial relativistic backward-wave oscillator (CRBWO) with sectioned slow-wave structures (SWSs) is presented and investigated in this paper. Through theoretical and numerical analysis and particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation, a combination generation of two stationary single-frequency regimes is selected as the operation regime of the two-section CRBWO, and a better understanding of the high-frequency characteristics of the system, including the unstable beam-wave interaction regions of each section and the operation mode of each section, is obtained. The PIC simulation results indicate that, with an electron beam of 500 kV and 8.7 kA guided by an axial magnetic field of 0.82 T, average power of 700 MW with power conversion efficiency up to 16.1% is obtained, and the two dominant frequencies are 10.06 and 10.49 GHz, respectively. Theoretical analysis indicates that the operation modes of the two sections are TM <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">01</sub> modes.

Design of a high-efficiency dual-band coaxial relativistic backward wave oscillator with variable coupling impedance and phase velocity

AbstractA dual-band high-efficiency coaxial relativistic backward wave oscillator (CRBWO) with asymmetric resonant reflector is designed and presented in this paper. Improved sectioned coaxial slow wave structure (SWS) with stepwise variation of coupling impedance and phase velocity is employed, and the performance of the dual-band CRBWO is investigated by use of a 2.5-D particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation code. When the diode voltage is 510 kV and beam current is 9.03 kA, an average microwave power of 1.0 GW with power conversion efficiency of 21.7% is obtained. Synchronously radiating dual-band frequencies of 8.1 GHz and 9.9 GHz are obtained, corresponding to C-band and X-band, respectively. A more clear and stable beating radiation microwave power with beating frequency of 1.8 GHz is acquired.

Experimental study of a compact P-band coaxial relativistic backward wave oscillator with three periods slow wave structure

A compact P-band coaxial relativistic backward wave oscillator with three periods slow wave structure was investigated experimentally. The experimental results show that the frequency of the P-band coaxial relativistic backward wave oscillator is 897 MHz and the microwave power is 1.47 GW with an efficiency of about 32% in the case in which the diode voltage is 572 kV, the beam current is 8.0 kA, and the guide magnetic field is about 0.86 T. In addition, the device can generate a 3.14 GW microwave radiation as the guide magnetic field increases to 1.2 T at the diode voltage of 997 kV and the beam current of 15.3 kA. The experimental results are in good agreement with those obtained earlier by numerical simulations.

A Novel Coaxial Relativistic Backward-Wave Oscillator for Millimeter Wave Generation

A novel coaxial relativistic backward-wave oscillator (C-RBWO) for millimeter wave generation is proposed and studied by simulation. In the proposed C-RBWO, a coaxial structure is used in the beam-wave interaction region. According to the dispersion relations in the slow-wave structure region, a new simple and effective reflector is designed for effective cutoff the backward-wave at the electron-injector end. Nonuniform corrugation depth is used to increase the efficiency. For an electron beam with 263-kV voltage and 610-MW power, about 80-MW output power is obtained by simulation at 96.2 GHz. The C-RBWO operates at a low magnetic field (3.7 T) below the cyclotron resonance value (about 10.2 T). The output efficiency is beyond 13%.

A dual-frequency coaxial relativistic backward-wave oscillator with a modulating resonant reflector

An X-band dual-frequency coaxial relativistic backward-wave oscillator with a modulating resonant reflector is presented and investigated in this paper. Through a theoretical study, numerical analysis and particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation, the stationary single-frequency regime is selected as the operation regime, and the high-frequency characteristics of the system, including the unstable beam–wave interaction regions and operation mode of each section, are obtained. The PIC simulation results indicate that an average power of 1.07 GW with a power conversion efficiency of 24.2% is obtained with an electron beam of 520 kV and 8.5 kA guided by an axial magnetic field of 2.4 T, and the two dominant frequencies are 9.43 and 10.30 GHz, respectively. Furthermore, a periodic-like change in the smaller dominant frequency with a frequency agility bandwidth of about 0.40 GHz is acquired.

同轴相对论返波管中波束作用过程

同轴相对论返波管中波束作用过程

X波段高效双频同轴相对论返波管粒子模拟

X波段高效双频同轴相对论返波管粒子模拟

低频段紧凑型同轴相对论返波振荡器

低频段紧凑型同轴相对论返波振荡器

X band bifrequency coaxial relativistic backward wave oscillator

An idea of azimuthally dividing the slow wave structure (SWS) of a relativistic backward wave oscillator (RBWO) into two parts is introduced to realize a bifrequency oscillation. To enhance the stability of this device, two sectorial waveguides are inserted into the SWS specially. The synchronization condition that is necessary to get a sustainable microwave output is derived. In Particle in cell simulation, bifrequency microwave at frequencies of 9.7 GHz and 9.87 GHz is generated with average power of 0.66 GW, conversion efficiency is 15.8% when beam voltage is 520 kV and current 8 kA.

High efficiency coaxial klystron-like relativistic backward wave oscillator with a premodulation cavity

The klystron-like relativistic backward wave oscillator (RBWO) combines the transition radiation with Cerenkov radiation and has demonstrated microwave output of high power and high efficiency. The coaxial slow wave structure device can produce microwave with a lower frequency in a smaller cross section. For the purpose of high efficiency, low frequency, and miniaturization, a coaxial klystron-like RBWO with a premodulation cavity is presented. Particle-in-cell simulations show that a microwave with power of 1.15 GW and frequency of 2.1 GHz is generated with conversion efficiency of 48%, whereas for the device with a reflector, the efficiency is 38%.

A compact P-band coaxial relativistic backward wave oscillator with only three periods slow wave structure

A compact P-band coaxial relativistic backward wave oscillator (BWO) with only three periods slow wave structure (SWS) is investigated both theoretically and numerically. The characteristics of the coaxial SWS are analyzed when the SWS is changed from the structure with only outer conductor ripple to the structure with both inner and outer conductor ripples. It is found that the existence of the inner conductor ripple can reduce the period length of coaxial SWS to maintain the same operating frequency of the BWO and can largely increase the temporal growth rate and the spatial growth rate of the device. Then, the effects of SWS period numbers on the generation of the microwave in the P-band relativistic BWO are studied by PIC simulations. The results show that three periods SWS cannot only make the device more compact but also has a wide region of single-frequency operation and relatively large efficiency and output power in a wide range of the diode voltage. Typical simulation results show that, with a 585 kV and 7.85 kA electron beam guided by a 0.8 T solenoidal field, the microwave of 1.65 GW is generated at the frequency of 900 MHz, and the interaction efficiency is about 36%. Compared with the conventional P-band coaxial relativistic BWO with five periods SWS, the axial length of the SWS is reduced by about one half, which is only 38.4 cm, and the saturation time of the microwave signal is reduced by about 10 ns.