Effect of cyclotron resonance on ‘hot’ dispersion in a staggered double metallic grating sheet beam travelling wave tube

Based on the beam wave synchronous interaction in transverse and longitudinal directions at the same time and starting from Maxwell’s equation and linear Vlasov equation, the beam–wave interaction ‘hot’ dispersion equation considering both cyclotron resonance and Cherenkov resonance in a staggered double metallic grating traveling wave tube is deduced.Through the reasonable selection for geometric and electrical parameters, the numerical calculation and analysis of the ‘hot’ dispersion equation shows that the beam–wave interaction gain and frequency band with the cyclotron resonance enhancement effect are higher than those with only Cherenkov resonance radiation.

Theoretical research on the performance of a practical helix travelling wave tube

On the basis of a rigorous field theory, two different physical models of attenuator and sever have been proposed. One is named High attenuation （HATT） model in which both attenuator and sever are considered as a unified attenuator, but the sever is regarded as an area of very high loss; the other is called Sever and attenuator （SATT） model in which the sever is modelled as a drift area in which the electric and magnetic fields both vanish. A complex function is derived and potential sinking effect is also considered. Thus, a set of more practical self-consistent equations of nonlinear beam-wave interaction is formulated. Simulations are carried out under the conditions of the two different physical models, and the simulation results are compared with the experimental data. The results show that in the case of single signal drive, the unknown second harmonic should be included for predicting the saturated output power. It is also evident that the SATT model and the HATT model predict the same physical nature, whereas the results predicted by the HATT model are much closer to the experimental data than those obtained from the SATT model. Therefore, these results provide a strong theoretical basis for designing broadband and high gain helix travelling wave tubes.

Analysis of the axial electric field in a plasma-loaded- helix travelling wave tube

A helix type slow wave structure filled with plasma is immersed in a strong longitudinal magnetic field. Taking into account the effect of the plasma and the dielectric, the system is separated radially into three regions. By means of the sheath model and Maxwell equation, the distribution of the electromagnetic field is established. Using the boundary conditions of each region, the dispersion relation of the slow wave structure is derived. The trend of change for the radial profile of the axial electric field is analysed respectively in different plasma densities, plasma column radius and dielectric constant by numerical computation. Some useful results are obtained on the basis of the discussion.

AN INNER-FEEDBACK-STYLE TRAVELING-WAVE TUBE OSCILLATOR

A new concept of inner-feedback-style traveling wave tube oscillator, which is based on a traveling-wave tube having a partial reflector located at near the junction between the slow-wave structure and the output coupler and a mechanical tuner connected to the input coupler, is proposed. Simulations by CHIPIC code show that the inner-feedback-style traveling wave tube oscillator having 100W of power, about 10% of electron efficiency and a tunable band of 73.35-73.91 GHz may be achieved. Compared with Backward Wave Oscillators (BWOs), the new devices have similar ability for tuning, and have much higher electron efficiency, suggesting much more potential as a Terahertz source.

Design and development of high linearity millimeter wave traveling-wave tube for satellite communications

The linearity of the traveling-wave tube is a very important characteristic for a modern communication system. To improve the linearity of the traveling-wave tube at no expense of the saturated output power and overall efficiency, a modified pitch profile combined with a small adjustment of operating parameters is proposed. The optimal design of the helix circuit is evaluated theoretically by a large signal analysis, and the experimental test is also carried out to make a comparison of performance between the novel and original designed traveling-wave tubes. The experiments show that the saturated output powers and efficiencies of these two tubes are close to each other, while the linearity of the traveling-wave tube is obviously improved. The total phase shift and AM/PM conversion at saturation of the novel tube, averaged over the operating band, are only 30.6°/d B and 2.5°/d B, respectively, which are 20.1°/d B and 1.6°/d B lower than those of the original tube, respectively. Moreover, the third-order intermodulation of the novel tube is up to 2.2 d Bc lower than that of the original tube.

A novel slotted helix slow-wave structure for high power Ka-band traveling-wave tubes

A novel slotted helix slow-wave structure （SWS） is proposed to develop a high power, wide-bandwidth, and high reliability millimeter-wave traveling-wave tube （TWT）. This novel structure, which has higher heat capacity than a conven- tional helix SWS, evolves from conventional helix SWS with three parallel rows of rectangular slots made in the outside of the helix tape. In this paper, the electromagnetic characteristics and the beam-wave interaction of this novel structure operating in the Ka-band are investigated. From our calculations, when the designed beam voltage and beam current are set to be 18.45 kV and 0.2 A, respectively, this novel circuit can produce over 700-W average output power in a frequency range from 27.5 GHz to 32.5 GHz, and the corresponding conversion efficiency values vary from 19% to 21.3%, and the maximum output power is 787 W at 30 GHz.

A staggered double vane circuit for a W-band traveling-wave tube amplifier

Based on the combination of a staggered double vane slow wave structure （SWS） and round electron beam, a 200-W W-band traveling-wave tube （TWT） amplifier is studied in this paper. The main advantages of round beam operation over the sheet beam is that the round beam can be formed more easily and the focus requirement can be dramatically reduced. It operates in the fundamental mode at the first spatial harmonic. The geometric parameters are optimized and a transition structure for the slow wave circuit is designed which can well match the signal that enters into and goes out from the tube. Then a TWT model is established and the particle-in-cell （PIC） simulation results show that the tube can provide over 200-W output power in a frequency range of 88 GHz-103 GHz with a maximum power of 289 W at 95 GHz, on the assumption that the input power is 0.1 W and the beam power is 5.155 kW. The corresponding conversion efficiency and gain at 95 GHz are expected to be 5.6% and 34.6 dB, respectively. Such amplifiers can potentially be used in high power microwave-power-modules （MPM） and for other portable applications.

A three-dimensional time-dependent theory for helix traveling wave tubes in beam-wave interaction

This paper presents a three-dimensional time-dependent nonlinear theory of helix traveling wave tubes for beam- wave interaction. The radio frequency electromagnetic fields are represented as the superposition of azimuthally sym- metric waves in a vacuum sheath helix. Coupling impedance is introduced to the electromagnetic field equations＇ stimulating sources, which makes the theory easier and more flexible to realize. The space charge fields are calculated by electron beam space-charge waves expressed as the superposition solutions of Helmholtz equations. The focusing forces due to either a solenoidal field or a periodic permanent magnetic field is also included. The dynamical equations of electrons are Lorentz equations associating with electromagnetic fields, focusing fields and space-charge fields. The numerically simulated results of a tube are presented.

Nonlinear time-dependent simulation of helix traveling wave tubes

A one-dimensional nonlinear time-dependent theory for helix traveling wave tubes is studied. A generalized electromagnetic field is applied to the expression of the radio frequency field. To simulate the variations of the high frequency structure, such as the pitch taper and the effect of harmonics, the spatial average over a wavelength is substituted by a time average over a wave period in the equation of the radio frequency field. Under this assumption, the space charge field of the electron beam can be treated by a space charge wave model along with the space charge coefficient. The effects of the radio frequency and the space charge fields on the electrons are presented by the equations of the electron energy and the electron phase. The time-dependent simulation is compared with the frequency-domain simulation for a helix TWT, which validates the availability of this theory.

An Open Rectangular Waveguide Grating for Millimeter-Wave Traveling-Wave Tubes

Millimeter-wave traveling-wave tube （TWT） prevails nowadays as the amplifier for radar, communication and electronic countermeasures. The rectangular waveguide grating is a promising all-metal interaction circuit for the millimeter-wave TWT with advantages of high power capacity, fine heat dissipation, scalability to smaller dimen- sions for shorter wavelengths, compact structure and robust performance. Compared with the traditional closed structure, the open rectangular waveguide grating （ORWG） has wider bandwidth, lower cut-off frequency, and higher machining precision for higher working frequencies due to the open transverse. It is a potential structure that can work in the millimeter wave and even Terahertz band. The rf characteristics including dispersion and interaction impedance are investigated by both theoretic calculation and software simulation. The influences of the structure parameters are also discussed and compared, and the theoretical results agree well with the simula- tion results. Based on the study, the ORWG will favor the design of a broadband and high-power millimeter-wave TWT.

DESIGN OF HIGH VOLTAGE POWER CONVERTER FOR TRAVELING WAVE TUBE AMPLIFIER

Traveling Wave Tubes(TWTs) are widely used in the radar and communications system as RF power amplifiers. A highly sophisticated power supply is required by TWT. In order to meet the severe requirements of Traveling Wave Tube Amplifier(TWTA), a novel two-stage topology high voltage converter for TWTA is proposed.The converter is based on Zero-Voltage Switching and Zero-Current Switching(ZVS/ZCS) resonant techniques. The high voltage converter operation principles are investigated and major features of the converter are discussed. The power switching mode of ZVS/ZCS is obtained. The experimental results show that the converter has good soft switching characteristics. Compared to the conventional hard switched Pulse Width Modulation(PWM) techniques, the high efficiency and low ripple of the converter for TWTA are realized. The efficiency of High Voltage Electronic Power Conditioners(HV-EPC) over 93.5% under the condition of 38~46 V input voltage and 260~300 W input power. The switching frequency of first-stage(preregulator) of HV-EPC is 89 k Hz and the switching frequency of second-stage(postregulator) is 44.5 k Hz. The highest output voltage of the HV-EPC is helix voltage which is about –6.8 kV. It is especially suitable for TWTA utilized in space satellite applications due to its high switching frequency and high power density.

An open-styled dielectric-lined azimuthally periodic circular waveguide for a millimeter wave traveling-wave tube

An open-styled dielectric-lined azimuthMly periodic circular waveguide （ODLAP-CW） for a millimeter-wave traveling-wave tube （TWT） is proposed, which is a modified form of a dielectric-lined azimuthally periodic circular waveguide （DLAP-CW）. The slow-wave characteristics of the open-styled DLAP-CW are studied by using the spatial harmonics method, which includes normalized phase velocity and interaction impedance. The complicated dispersion equations are numerically solved with MATLAB and the results are in good agreement with the simulation results obtained from HFSS. The influence of structural parameters on the RF properties is investigated based on our theory. The numerical results show that the optimal thickness of the metal rod can increase the interaction impedance, with the dielectric constant held fixed. Finally, the slow-wave characteristics and transmission properties of an open-styled structure are compared with those of the DLAP-CW. The results validate that the mode competition is eliminated in the improved structure with only a slight influence on the dispersion characteristics, which may significantly improve the stability of an open-styled DLAP-CW-based TWT, and the interaction efficiency is also improved.

Design of a re-entrant double-staggered ladder circuit for V-band coupled-cavity traveling-wave tubes

The re-entrant double-staggered ladder slow-wave structure is employed in a high-power V-band coupled-cavity traveling-wave tube. This structure has a wide bandwidth, a moderate interaction impedance, and excellent thermal dissipation properties, as well as easy fabrication. A well-matched waveguide coupler is proposed for the structure. Combining the design of attenuators, a full-scale three-dimensional circuit model for the V-band coupled-cavity traveling- wave tube is constructed. The electromagnetic characteristics and the beam wave interaction of this structure are investigated. The beam current is set to be 100 mA, and the cathode voltage is tuned from 16.8 kV to 15.8 kV. The calculation results show that this tube can produce a saturated average output power over 100 W with an instantaneous bandwidth greater than 1.25 GHz in the frequency ranging from 58 GHz to 62 GHz. The corresponding gain and electronic efficiency can reach over 32 dB and 6.5%, respectively.

T/R双模微波功率模块技术及其应用

微波功率模块(MPM)是真空电子器件和固态电子器件组合而成的一种新型微波功率器件,具有频率高、频带宽、功率大、体积重量小等特点,它使常规行波管的应用变得更加便利和广泛。现代战争向雷达、电子战综合一体化方向发展,这就要求功放既能工作在高峰值功率、低占空比的高模工作方式,也能工作在低峰值功率、准连续波的低模工作方式,针对这一需求,结合电子系统收发共孔径的要求,提出了T/R双模MPM技术。T/R双模MPM技术的核心是T/R双模行波管,基于三端口双向T/R行波管,通过在慢波系统的衰减器附近设置一个耦合口,实现行波管的信号反向接收功能;通过T/R双模行波管设计、双模放大均衡组件、双调制栅极电源等技术实现MPM的双模双向功能。T/R双模MPM应用前景广阔,特别是在基于无人机平台的作战应用中的具有明显优势。

Q波段宽带螺旋线行波管输能系统研究

针对Q波段宽带螺旋线行波管所需要的低损耗、低反射输能系统,采用后馈式单脊过渡波导和盒型窗方案,优化设计了过渡波导阻抗变换结构、内导体尺寸和螺旋线大螺距过渡结构,得到33~50 GHz频带内驻波系数小于2的输能系统,并成功应用在Q波段宽带多用途螺旋线行波管中。

基于大回旋电子注的高次谐波回旋行波管

回旋行波管兼具高功率、宽频带特性,在毫米波高分辨成像雷达、电子对抗等重要军事领域具有广泛的应用前景。基于大回旋电子注的回旋行波放大器可工作于高次谐波状态,大大降低了工作磁场,甚至可实现无超导工作,提高了回旋行波管使用的灵活性和机动性。本文优化设计了一支Ka波段二次谐波大回旋行波管,采用具有介质加载的纵向开槽互作用高频结构有效抑制返波振荡,提高了器件工作的稳定性。利用三维粒子仿真,对大回旋行波管注-波互作用过程进行了模拟。结果表明,在电子注电压为70 kV,电流为6.5 A时,磁场可降低至0.642 T,输出功率达到106.5 kW,带宽为2.10 GHz,最大增益为35 dB。

耳型折叠波导慢波结构W波段行波管

毫米波行波管具有大功率、宽频带、高增益等特点,广泛用于雷达、高速通信、电子对抗等现代军事装备中。为提高折叠波导耦合阻抗并考虑工程应用性,提出一种耳型折叠波导新型慢波结构。与常规矩形波导相比,工作频带内耦合阻抗提高30%以上,损耗降低10%。研制的耳型折叠波导W波段行波管,在工作电压21.9 kV,电流210 mA,占空比为5%时,10.8 GHz带宽内输出功率大于192 W,峰值功率达278 W,电子效率和增益分别达到6.3%和44.6 dB,行波管工作稳定。

太赫兹折叠波导慢波电路及功率合成技术

针对太赫兹频段行波管输出功率较小的瓶颈以及对紧凑型设计的明确需求,提出一种管内功率合成的0.34 THz折叠波导行波管结构。首先,对太赫兹折叠波导慢波结构的高频特性进行了研究,通过仿真计算得到了其色散特性和耦合阻抗,0.34 THz处归一化相速度为0.248,耦合阻抗为0.46Ω;其次,提出了用于管内功率合成的3 dB定向耦合器结构设计,分析表明,其在0.31~0.368 THz范围内,幅度平衡度在±0.19 dB以内,隔离度优于24 dB;最后,完成了基于3 dB定向耦合器管内功率合成的折叠波导行波管基本结构设计并构建了仿真模型,仿真结果表明,最大输出功率为9.16 W,增益为26.6 dB,3 dB带宽达到21 GHz。作为对比,单个折叠波导行波管输出功率为6.18 W,故管内合成的折叠波导行波管的输出功率是单个行波管输出功率的1.48倍;此外,与采用常规外置功率合成结构的双行波管组件设计相比,管内功率合成折叠波导行波管的横向尺寸至少缩减了56.5%。

基于高阶模的太赫兹回旋行波管研究

回旋行波管作为电真空器件之一,兼具大功率、宽频带、高增益等特性,在无线通信、电子对抗、安检成像等领域具有广泛的应用前景。本文通过理论研究和粒子仿真(Particle in Cell,PIC)完成了G波段回旋行波管的优化设计,其采用周期性介质加载波导,工作模式为TE 02模。PIC仿真结果显示,当输入60 kV、3 A的电子注时,回旋行波管在215 GHz的输出功率为14 kW,对应效率和增益分别为7.7%和45 dB,3 dB带宽为9.5 GHz。

准光波导回旋行波管发展及现状

基于电子回旋脉塞机理的回旋行波管,兼具高输出功率和宽工作频带的优点,在电子信息领域具有极为广阔的应用空间。随着回旋行波管向高频段发展,受尺寸共度效应的影响,采用低阶模式工作的高频结构截面尺寸逐渐减小,导致器件的功率容量随之降低。采用具有模式选择特性的准光波导作为回旋行波管的高频互作用结构,可实现回旋行波管在高阶模式状态下稳定工作,进而实现放大器向高频段扩展和高功率输出。本文对准光回旋行波管的发展现状和存在的问题及最新研究动态进行了概述。