Power Mixer Research Articles

A wideband power mixer tube

The use of a traveling-wave tube <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">1</sup> as a power mixer employing phase modulation at a single frequency has been described by W. J. Bray. <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup> To use the same modulation principle with a wide band of modulation frequencies (hundreds of megacycles), excessive modulating power would be needed. This paper presents theory and experimental data for a broad-band traveling-wave type mixer requiring low modulating power. It consists of an input helix, a drift tube and an output helix arranged successively along a beam. Low modulating voltage is realized by operating the drift tube at low potential; the output helix is operated at high potential so the required power output can be obtained.