Helical Electron Research Articles

The design and analysis of a novel multistage depressed collector for gyro-TWT

A novel method of spatial separation of electrons with different initial energies in the helical electron beams of gyro-traveling wave tube (gyro-TWT), configured by two orthogonal external transverse magnetic fields, is presented. To demonstrate the method, an advanced asymmetric two-stage depressed collector has been designed. The structure of the collector and the electronic classification method are analyzed in detail in this article. The simulation shows that the application of this method can realize electronic classification effectively. The overall efficiency of the gyro-TWT improved from 32.6% to 55.7% and increased by 70.8%. The maximum power dissipation and the maximum thermal loading on the electrode were 2.12 kW/cm2 and 299 °C, respectively. The secondary electron analysis shows that the rectangular groove on the electrode surface can effectively suppress the influence of secondary electrons on the collector's efficiency.

Fast photochromism of helicene-bridged imidazole dimers.

The unique optical and magnetic properties of organic biradicaloids on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are of fundamental interest in the development of novel organic optoelectronic materials. Open-shell π-conjugated molecules with helicity have recently attracted a great deal of attention due to the magnetic-field-dependence and spin-selectivity arising from the combination of helical chirality and electron spins. However, the molecular design for helical biradicaloids is limited due to the thermal instability and high reactivity. Herein, we achieved fast photochromic reactions and reversible photo-generation of biradical species using helicene-bridged imidazole dimers. A [9]helicene-bridged imidazole dimer exhibits reversible photochromism upon UV light irradiation. The transient species produced reversibly by UV light irradiation exhibited ESR spectra with a fine structure characteristic of a triplet radical pair, indicating the reversible generation of the biradical. The half-life of the thermal recombination reaction of the biradical was estimated to be 29 ms at 298 K. Conversely, a substantial activation energy barrier was confirmed for the intramolecular recombination reaction in the [7]helicene-bridged imidazole dimer, attributed to the extended pitch length of [7]helicene. The temperature dependence of the thermal back reactions revealed that the [7]helicene and [9]helicene moieties functioned as 'soft' and 'hard' molecular bridges, respectively. These findings pave the way for future advances in the development of photoswitchable helical biradicaloids.

Results of the Study of a New Generation Technological Gyrotron System With High Power and Efficiency

A series of work has been carried out to develop a new generation of technological gyrotrons on the first cyclotron harmonic with a radiation frequency of 28 GHz and a power beyond 20 kW. The generation efficiency reaches up to 55% at 6-kW power level without a system of recovery of residual electron energy. The efficiency of the entire setup is about 35% in the mode of maximum radiation power, which is achieved by using a magnetically shielded oil-cooled solenoid. The proper operation of the developed electron-optical system under conditions of a quasi-adiabatic magnetic field in the area of formation of a helical electron beam and a non-adiabatic one in the collector region is confirmed. The letter presents experimental data which is consistent with the results of numerical modeling. This allows us to further count on the implementation of generators up to the W-band frequency range using the magnetic system and high-voltage power sources.

Influence of the Foucault Currents on Excitation of the Magnetic Field and Dynamics of Formation of Helical Electron Beams in Pulse Gyrotrons

Influence of the Foucault Currents on Excitation of the Magnetic Field and Dynamics of Formation of Helical Electron Beams in Pulse Gyrotrons

Design of Magnetron Injection Gun and Solenoid for G-Band Gyro-TWT Based on Collaborative Optimization Method

In this article, a collaborative design method for gyrotron magnetron injection gun (MIG) and solenoid is proposed for the first time. On this basis, the shape of the electrodes and solenoid sizes is optimized by the means of global optimization techniques. Simplified theory and numerical methods of MIG have been developed, and the results agree well with the PIC simulation. By using the new method, the calculation time is reduced and the numerical stability has been greatly improved compared with that directly solving the Lorentz equation. As an example, a helical electron beam with a velocity pitch ratio of 1.20 and a transverse velocity spread of 1.65% is obtained for G-band gyro-TWT.

Particle acceleration by twisted laser beams

We consider particle acceleration in plasmas, using twisted laser beams, or beams with orbital angular momentum. We discuss different acceleration processes using two LG laser modes, which include donut wakefield, beat-wave and self-torque acceleration, and compare the respective properties. We show that a self-torque configuration is able to produce azimuthal acceleration and can therefore be considered as an alternative method to produce helical electron beams.

Bright γ-ray source with large orbital angular momentum from the laser near-critical-plasma interaction

We propose a new laser-plasma-based method to generate bright γ-rays carrying large orbital angular momentum by interacting a circularly polarized Laguerre–Gaussian laser pulse with a near-critical hydrogen plasma confined in an over-dense solid tube. In the first stage of the interaction, it is found via fully relativistic three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations that high-energy helical electron beams with large orbital angular momentum are generated. In the second stage, this electron beam interacts with the laser pulse reflected from the plasma disc behind the solid tube, and helical γ beams are generated with the same topological structure as the electron beams. The results show that the electrons receive angular momentum from the drive laser, which can be further transferred to the γ photons during the interaction. The γ beam orbital angular momentum is strongly dependent on the laser topological charge l and laser intensity a 0, which scales as . A short (duration of 5 fs) isolated helical γ beam with an angular momentum of −3.3 × 10−14 kg m2 s−1 is generated using the Laguerre–Gaussian laser pulse with l = 2. The peak brightness of the helical γ beam reaches 1.22 × 1024 photons s−1 mm−2 mrad−2 per 0.1% BW (at 10 MeV), and the laser-to-γ-ray angular momentum conversion rate is approximately 2.1%.

Formation of Sheet Helical Electron Beams for High-Power Planar Gyrotrons

Planar magnetron-injection gun forming a powerful (3 MW) sheet helical electron beam (HEB) for 140 GHz gyrotron was designed. Modified scheme of an electron beam analyzer based on the retarding electric field method was developed to measure the electron beam characteristics, including pitch-factor and velocity spread. Experimental results are in good agreement with theoretical predictions and demonstrate feasibility of formation of a wide (20 mm) sheet HEB with an energy of 100 keV, a current of 30 A and a pitch-factor of above 1.2 – 1.3.

Spatial Synchronization of TE-Modes in a Slit-Type Gyrotron Cavity

We propose a variant of a slitted cavity for gyrotrons based on spatial synchronization of TE-type modes with azimuthal indexes equal to multiples of the slit number and close eigenfrequencies. A simplified theory of such a cavity is presented demonstrating its basic properties. High selectivity of the novel cavity was confirmed by 3-D PIC simulation of a 0.3-THz gyrotron energized by a helical electron beam with an energy of 500 keV and a current of 2 kA. This simulation demonstrates that, using the slit-type cavity, stable single-frequency operation at TE <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">6,4</sub> –TE <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">12,2</sub> mode combined with an output power of more than 80 MW and an efficiency of about 8%. The same arrangement with a conventional solid-wall cavity demonstrates no single-frequency regimes at all.

Influence of the Foucault Currents on Excitation of the Magnetic Field and Dynamics of Formation of Helical Electron Beams in Pulse Gyrotrons

Influence of the Foucault Currents on Excitation of the Magnetic Field and Dynamics of Formation of Helical Electron Beams in Pulse Gyrotrons

Revisiting the compatibility problem between the gauge principle and the observability of the canonical orbital angular momentum in the Landau problem

As is widely-known, the eigen-functions of the Landau problem in the symmetric gauge are specified by two quantum numbers. The first is the familiar Landau quantum number n, whereas the second is the magnetic quantum number m, which is the eigen-value of the canonical orbital angular momentum (OAM) operator of the electron. The eigen-energies of the system depend only on the first quantum number n, and the second quantum number m does not correspond to any direct observables. This seems natural since the canonical OAM is generally believed to be a gauge-variant quantity, and observation of a gauge-variant quantity would contradict a fundamental principle of physics called the gauge principle. In recent researches, however, Bliokh et al. analyzed the motion of helical electron beam along the direction of a uniform magnetic field, which was mostly neglected in past analyses of the Landau states. Their analyses revealed highly non-trivial m-dependent rotational dynamics of the Landau electron, but the problem is that their papers give an impression that the quantum number m in the Landau eigen-states corresponds to a genuine observable. This compatibility problem between the gauge principle and the observability of the quantum number m in the Landau eigen-states was attacked in our previous letter paper. In the present paper, we try to give more convincing answer to this delicate problem of physics, especially by paying attention not only to the particle-like aspect but also to the wave-like aspect of the Landau electron.

Peripherally Donor-Installed 7,8-Diaza[5]helicenes as a Platform for Helical Luminophores

AbstractA new family of emissive donor–acceptor–donor (D-A-D) compounds has been developed by introducing two electron donors into the 7,8-diaza[5]helicene core as a novel helical electron acceptor. The X-ray crystallographic analyses revealed the uniquely twisted and helical structures of these compounds in the solid states. Notably, some D-A-D compounds developed herein display distinct mechanochromic luminescence (MCL) in the solid state, and a D-A-D helicene shows circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) with a relatively high luminescence dissymmetry factor g lum of ca. 10–3. Time-resolved spectroscopic analysis revealed the aspects of thermally activated delayed fluorescence characters of the helicenes. Furthermore, the emissive helicenes were applied to organic light-emitting diodes as emitters.

In-plane Hall effect in two-dimensional helical electron systems

We study Berry curvature driven and Zeeman magnetic field dependent electric current responses of two-dimensional electron system with spin-orbit coupling. New non-dissipative component of the electric current occurring in the applied in-plane magnetic field is described. This component is transverse to the electric field, odd in the magnetic field, and depends only on one particular direction of the magnetic field defined by the spin-orbit coupling. We show that the effect can be observed in a number of systems with $C_{3v}$ symmetry.

Tomotherapy as an Alternative Irradiative Treatment for Complicated Keloids.

The aim of this study was to investigate the treatment of complicated keloids with helical tomotherapy (HT) and electron beam radiotherapy. From July 2018 to September 2018, 11 patients with 23 keloid lesions treated with HT were enrolled. Additionally, 11 patients with 20 lesions treated with electron beam radiotherapy in the same period were enrolled. Patients in both groups were treated within 24 h after surgical excision of the keloid lesion with 13.5 Gy in three consecutive daily fractions. The median follow-up period was 15 months. The local control rate was 91.3% and 80% in the HT group and the electron beam group, respectively. No acute adverse effects were observed in either group, but most patients exhibited pigmentation. No radiation-induced cancer occurred in these patients up to the time of this report. Pain and pruritus improved for all patients and more obviously for three patients with complicated keloids treated with HT. The measured surface dose was 103.7–112.5% and 92.8–97.6% of the prescribed dose in the HT group and the electron beam group, respectively. HT can be considered an alternative in cases where it is not feasible to use multiple electron fields, due to encouraging clinical outcomes.

Universal Subterahertz Large-Orbit Gyrotron: Operation at the Second and Third Cyclotron Harmonics

Coherent subterahertz radiation in the continuous-wave regime was obtained in a large-orbit gyrotron (LOG) operated at a high harmonic of the cyclotron frequency. An electron–optical system containing a gun with a cusp followed by a section of adiabatic magnetic compression with a factor of 1000 ensures the formation of a 30 keV/0.7 A helical axis-encircling electron beam with acceptable velocity spread and pitch factor in a magnetic field of 5 T. Stable singlemode operation was obtained at frequencies of 0.394 and 0.267 THz with radiation powers of 0.37 and 0.9 kW at the third and second cyclotron harmonics, respectively. Tuning of the generation frequency in the gyrotron during its operation at the second cyclotron harmonic and complex regimes of competition of two waves excited at the second and third cyclotron harmonics are also studied.

Magnetron-Injection Gun with Increased Current for Frequency Tunable Medium Power Sub-THz Gyrotron

A magnetron-injection gun able to provide very high ratio tj≈ 0.5 of the beam current to the Langmuir current has been designed, while maintaining good enough quality and stability of a formed helical electron beam. The specific feature of the gun is the shape of the cathode with two singular points of the electric field distribution which ensure close to uniform electric field profile within the emitter ring for wide range of operating currents. The gun provides the smoothed dependence of the beam parameters for currents up to 1.5–2 A and is suitable for wide (~ 10 GHz) frequency range gyrotron operation with the central frequency of 0.2 THz and output power ~ 1 kW within the whole tuning band. Such approach for the magnetron-injection gun design can be used for development of other promising high power sub-THz gyrotrons.

Development of a Collector with Multistage Recuperation for Gyrotron

A four-stage collector system is developed for the experimental gyrotron at the Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University based on spatial separation of electrons with different energies in crossed electric and magnetic fields. The conditions of use of this system for the efficient recuperation of electron residual energy in a spent beam are determined. The numerical simulation of the recuperator and the analysis of the electric and magnetic field distribution in the gyrotron collector region are accomplished. Theoretical estimations and trajectory analysis of the helical electron beam show that the system developed provides the electron residual energy recuperation necessary to achieve total gyrotron efficiency over 70%.

Relativistic near-single-cycle optical vortex pulses from noble gas-filled multipass cells.

We propose to obtain relativistic near-single-cycle optical vortices carrying orbital angular momentum through the post-compression of Laguerre-Gaussian pulses in gas-filled multipass cells. Our simulations revealed that 30 fs optical vortex pulses centered around 800 nm with a pulse energy of millijoule level can be compressed to near-single-cycle duration with topological charges from 1 to 20 within an argon-filled cell with five passes. The spectral broadening preserves the topological charge of the input beam; the spatio-spectral couplings are also discussed. The energy of the vortex pulses could be scaled up by increasing the dimensions of the cell. The relativistic near-single-cycle vortices are of great interest for the generation of ultrashort helical electron bunches based on hybrid electron acceleration in underdense plasmas and on isolated relativistic extreme ultraviolet optical vortices from high-order harmonic generation in solid foils.

Terahertz Ultralow-Voltage Gyrotron With Upstream Output

A medium-power broadband-tuning terahertz (THz) gyrotron operating at low voltages is especially attractive for applications in biomedicine. This article tends to elaborate on the challenges related to startup oscillation and ohmic loss suppression of an extremely low-voltage THz gyrotron. High interaction efficiency is achievable by applying long transit time of electrons to compensate the unfavorable decline of the beam-wave coupling strength for low-energy electron beams. A cavity structure which favors backward-wave interaction is proposed to extend the frequency tuning range. The theoretical study predicts that the optimal cavity contributes to the robust frequency tunability at low voltages. The results indicate that a continuous tuning range of 10.7 GHz around the 330-GHz band with output power higher than 1 W can be expected by utilizing a 0.3 kV, 0.5 A helical electron beam.

The physics of helical electron beam in a uniform magnetic field as a testing ground of gauge principle

According to Bliokh et al., allowing free propagation along the direction of a uniform magnetic field, the familiar Landau electron state can be regarded as a non-diffracting version of the helical electron beam propagating along the magnetic field. Based on this observation, they argued that, while propagating along the magnetic field, the Landau electrons receive characteristic rotation with three different angular velocities, depending on the eigen-value m of the canonical OAM operator, which is generally gauge-variant, and this splitting was in fact experimentally confirmed. Through complete analyses of highly mysterious m-dependent rotational dynamics of the quantum Landau states, we try to make clear how and why their observation does not contradict the widely-believed gauge principle.