Search

This paper developed a method for more accurate permittivity extraction of high-loss materials using the waveguide method to reduce the effect of the air gap. This method improves the Baker-Jarvis algorithm. It makes the errors of S-parameters caused by the air gap compensated by a correction factor β of the form: (S21 + S12) + β(S11 + S22). In our study, the correction results of β for materials on different frequencies and air gap sizes are quantitatively investigated. Furthermore, we propose a method to obtain an optimal frequency-independent β for different materials. A typical high-loss BeO-SiC ceramic commonly used in vacuum electron tubes is analyzed and discussed in detail. It shows that compared to traditionally utilizing only S21 (β = 0), adopting an optimal β can reduce the average errors of the complex permittivity from 17.7% to 7.9% with a 0.10 mm air gap. The proposed method is verified by measurements of unshaved and shaved samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the portability of magnets in gyrotron devices, we designed a compact Bitter-type magnet with power consumption optimization theory. This magnet operates at room temperature in a small volume. The theory revises existing electromagnetic theory for non-uniform structural Bitter-type magnets and achieves the lowest energy consumption through iterative optimization. To extend the magnetic field homogeneity region, the ferromagnetic material armature is applied to the Bitter-type system without additional power consumption. Unlike previous manual designs, the proposed Bitter-type magnets can obtain optimal parameters with a significant reduction in computing time. Through the introduction of correction factors, we improve accuracy through multiple verifications of simulations and experiments. On this basis, a room-temperature Bitter-type magnet system for Ka-band fundamental mode gyrotron amplifiers is designed. Its maximum magnetic field strength is 1.1 T, and the length of the homogeneity region is 300 mm. Through optimization, its energy consumption is only 27.5 kW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Backward wave oscillation seriously degrades the stability of gyrotron travelling-wave tubes (gyro-TWTs), especially during high average/continuous wave operation. To solve this problem, a selective mode suppression structure (SMSS) based on the mode coupling principle is proposed and applied in the nonlinear beam–wave interaction region to suppress the parasitic TE11 mode. It is capable of obtaining a high power and improving the tube stability. Simulation results demonstrate that the SMSS can raise the starting current from 10 to 18 A and the starting pitch factor from 1.2 to 1.6. Based on this proposed circuit, a Ka-band TE01 mode gyro-TWT was designed, and the particle-in-cell simulation shows that it can achieve a saturated output power of over 150 kW from 29.7 to 31.7 GHz with a velocity spread of 2.2%. For verification, a SMSS is manufactured and cold tested. The measurement of S-parameters reveals that it can effectively suppress the parasitic TE11 mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the mode excited, evolved, and propagating properties of the lossy dielectric-loaded waveguide (DLW) used in a Ku-band TE11-mode gyrotron traveling wave tube (gyro-TWT). Theoretical calculation and numerical simulation show that different DLW eigenmodes can be excited by the hollow circular waveguide as a single or hybrid-mode. This study clearly reveals the transformation conditions of the single and hybrid-mode, and the mechanism of the resulting specific dispersion, loss, and electromagnetic field distribution. According to the mode excitation principle and its evolution laws, the propagating properties can be accurately controlled by adjusting the dielectric thickness, which can effectively suppress the potential oscillations and improve the electron bunching phase in the gyro-TWT. As a result, the dielectric loading scheme can be optimized by properly arranging the DLWs, thus enhancing the stability and gain of the gyro-TWT. The theory and simulation are verified by the vector network analyzer measurement at Ku-band, and the results show a good agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Axis coincidence consideration is necessary in the design of gyrotron solenoids; besides, radial field component strongly affects the performance of gyrodevices owing to the transverse particle–wave interaction mechanism in it, especially for high-frequency operation. In this article, the theory of multiple eccentric coils is derived. It is capable of calculating the off-axis field inside the solenoid with specified displacement and tilt. Numerical calculations are validated by 3-D electromagnetic simulation methods. Based on the measured magnet field, the displacement and tilt of a three-coil magnet system are successfully predicted with a global optimization algorithm, and then, the magnet system is well calibrated using a pair of flanges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent hot test details and inspiring results of the W-band lossy-dielectric-loaded gyrotron traveling-wave tube (gyro-TWT) developed at the University Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC) are reported in this letter. Measurement of the gyro-TWT had achieved a pulse output power over 100 kW with a broad bandwidth of 8.5 GHz (92.0~100.5 GHz). For the first time as we know, the W-band gyro-TWT can stably operate with a 10% duty cycle and the average output power is over 10.3 kW in the frequency range. Excellent stability, pure spectrum and mode patterns are all verified in the hot test experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To meet the need to transmit increasingly massive volumes of data, a more than 3 kW continuous wave (CW) Ka-band sheet beam traveling-wave tube (SB-TWT) is reported for the first time. Working under unsaturated drive, the maximum gain obtained is 29 dB with a sheet beam of 30.9 kV, 0.82 A, and the efficiency exceeds 24% with a single-stage collector depressed to −15 kV. The 1-dB bandwidth reaches 6 GHz from 26 GHz to 32 GHz and the bandwidth with output power greater than 2 kW can even reach 7GHz from 26 GHz to 33 GHz. The realization of 99.8% static transmission as well as over 97% actual CW transmission of sheet beam is verified successfully, which benefits from adopting periodic cusp magnet (PCM) focusing, and thereby total weight is less than 15 kg. The relevant experimental details are introduced in this letter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Design and microwave measurement of a linearly polarized circular TE11 mode coupler are reported in this article. Based on our earlier designed input coupler with smooth wall, we proposed an improved structure with ridges loading resulting in a bandwidth up to 29.2%. Simulation results show the port reflection S11 less than −10 dB is in 7.9–10.6 GHz. And the split transmission S21 and S31are over −3.4 dB in this frequency range. According to the simulation results, the designed input coupler is fabricated and measured with the vector network analyzer. The measurement results show excellent performance, which is in good agreement with the simulation when the conductor loss is taken into consideration. In addition, an input coupler with a cutoff waveguide is designed to improve the efficiency of single-port transmission and the power utilization. Simulation results show the transmission efficiency of the single port achieves 91%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the development of a dual-state Ku-band gyrotron traveling-wave tube (gyro-TWT) dual-state curved-profile magnetic injection gun (MIG) generating high-quality electron beams, in which the pitch factor is up to 1.2 and 1.35 for the pulse wave (PW) state and the continuous wave (CW) state, separately. A multiobjective genetic algorithm (MOGA) is applied in the profile optimization. Meanwhile, the parametric sensitivity is also discussed in detail. A periodic dielectric-loaded interaction circuit is adopted to suppress oscillations. Furthermore, thermal analyses of the interaction circuit under different duty cycles are also elaborated. The interaction circuit is analyzed in accordance with the proposed nonlinear self-consistent theory and particle-in-cell (PIC) codes. The results of hot experiments show that the dual-state tube obtains the output power of 150/30 kW corresponding to a saturated gain of 40/41 dB and the maximum efficiency of 25%/21% within the bandwidth of 2.0/1.1 GHz for the PW/CW state, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phase characteristics of gyrotron traveling-wave tubes (gyro-TWTs) for high-resolution imaging radars have been investigated. Determinant equations of output phase are classified into the cold phase and warm phase in the cases of cold-field and hot-field regions, respectively. The phase–frequency characteristics of cold phase are examined regarding single-mode and multimode operations, respectively. The time stability and the sensitivity to external parameters of warm phase are also investigated. The efficient methods to make the output phase of gyro-TWTs controllable are proposed. The measured output phase of the input coupler and output taper of a Ka-band gyro-TWT is linear with respect to the frequency, without any distortion. Moreover, the warm output phase fluctuation introduced by the RF circuit is less than ±8°. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this letter, a 20-kW-average-power Ka-band TE01 mode gyro-traveling wave tube (gyro-TWT) with a cut-off waveguide section is presented and verified by hot test experiment for the first time. To improve the average output power, the new type gyro-TWT adds a cut-off waveguide in high frequency beam-wave interaction circuits. The large signal nonlinear theory calculations and particle in cell (PIC) simulations show that the new type gyro-TWT has broadband and high-power output performances. The hot test experiment shows that the measured maximum average power is 20.3 kW at 34 GHz, corresponding to a saturated peak power of 169.2 kW, a saturated gain of 52 dB, an efficiency of ~26.9%, and 3 dB bandwidth of 3.2 GHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, key parameters that characterize field distribution and beam-wave coupling in confocal circuits are studied. The kinetic theory of confocal gyro-TWT considering launching loss is deduced based on it, which is capable of predicting the linear gain rate of confocal circuits with arbitrary mirror widths. Numerical results manifest that the output power/gain versus interaction position agrees well with the nonlinear results in the small-signal regime. In addition, main oscillations in confocal circuits including the near-cutoff oscillation and backward-wave oscillation (BWO) have been examined. Analytical expressions that can predict the near-cutoff oscillation threshold of uniform circuits without considering loss are derived and kz-f plots are introduced for lossy circuits. Furthermore, an algorithm that can automatically search the BWO start-oscillation thresholds of confocal circuits with arbitrary mirror widths has been developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the development of highly efficient gyrotron traveling-wave tube (gyro-TWT) with a nonuniform dielectric-loaded interaction circuit. The high-quality electron beam has been generated by curved-profile magnetron injection gun (MIG). With regard to the profile optimization, simulated annealing algorithm (SAA) and genetic algorithm (GA) are applied. An electron beam with a pitch factor of 1.6 and low-axial velocity spread of 0.9182% have been obtained. The parametric sensitivity is discussed in detail. A nonuniform dielectric-loaded circuit has been employed to suppress both global oscillations and local oscillations. Different thicknesses of dielectric materials have been manufactured and measured, demonstrating the circuit loss of oscillation modes that are enough for stable operation. The interaction circuit is analyzed under the guidance of nonlinear self-consistent theory and particle-in-cell (PIC) codes. The tube achieves a saturated peak output power of 36.24 kW at 93 GHz, corresponding to a saturated gain of 54 dB and a maximum efficiency of 45.3% within a 3-dB saturated bandwidth of 5 GHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To set up an automatic hot test platform of gyrotron traveling wave tubes (gyro-TWTs), feedback controls of proportional–integral–derivative (PID) were applied. Simulation of the controlling process of operating voltage on the gyro-TWT cathode had been carried out by MATLAB and then was verified as well as compared by the hot test experiment. The PID control on cathode–anode voltage is typical and similar to the control of beam current achieved by the heater filament. The operating voltage controlling process includes two different stages, i.e., the voltage rise and voltage maintenance phase. By optimizing the operating parameters of the PID algorithm, the simulated voltage rise has a good agreement with the one in the hot test controlling. Furthermore, PID responses after feedback control with sinusoidal and random fluctuations are, respectively, investigated. This paper indicates that the proposed strategy can easily achieve a stable operating voltage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new topology to excite the HE04 mode in wide bandwidth for confocal gyro-TWAs is presented. The mode exciter consists of a TE04 mode exciter and a TE04–HE04 transition waveguide section formed by two cascaded one-stage tapers. In addition, the closed-to-open confocal waveguide boundaries are studied. Numerical results show that the port reflection of the whole structure is well below −10 dB over 90–110 GHz; the transmission of HE04 mode is better than −1 dB over 94–107 GHz. Even more important, a maximum transmission variation of less than ±0.15 dB over the 1-dB bandwidth and a mode purity of better than 97.2% over the 3-dB bandwidth are achieved. The mode exciter is compact and easy to be fabricated, which can be applied to cold-test experiments of confocal gyro-amplifiers circuits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the design and simulation of a broadband Ka-band gyrotron traveling-wave tube operating in the $\text {TE}^{d}_{\text {02}}$ mode at the fundamental cyclotron harmonic with a fully dielectric-loaded circuit. Through loading loss-free dielectric on the entire circuit, the dispersion properties of the circuit are changed to maintain resonance condition at a wide frequency band. A sliced lossy dielectric-loaded structure is employed to provide the required loss for stable operation. The interaction circuit is analyzed under the field matching theory, the nonlinear self-consistent theory, and particle-in-cell codes. A saturated peak output power of 100 kW is achieved at 29 GHz, corresponding to a saturated gain of 44 dB and an efficiency of more than 15% within a 3-dB saturated bandwidth of 6.1 GHz (20% relative bandwidth). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this letter, diffractive-wave feedback mechanism of confocal gyrotron travelling-wave amplifiers (gyro-TWAs) is presented and verified in cold-test experiments for the first time. The reason for this physical mechanism is that part of the diffractive wave re-enters the open circuit during outward radiation. The achieved circuit loss is less than the theoretical predictions without considering the feedback. This abnormal behavior will seriously deteriorate the stability of the amplifiers including potential near-cutoff instability and backward-wave oscillation, presenting as a main factor that greatly degrades the performance of confocal gyro-TWAs, especially in high-gain operation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The propagation characteristics of a confocal waveguide are related to the radial spheroidal function, which is extremely complicated. A quadratic polynomial fitting (QPF) expression derived from numerical results by interpolation was successfully applied to the development of confocal gyrotrons. However, the QPF expression is valid only for a moderate spheroidal parameter. As a result, it cannot work well for confocal gyrotron travelling-wave tube (gyro-TWT) applications since the Fresnel parameter may be small for stable operations. For the first time, an efficient algorithm is developed to accurately calculate the spheroidal functions. Based on it, the MATLAB code with high accuracy and efficiency is developed to analyze the propagation characteristics of confocal waveguide. The calculated results and the QPF results are compared for different mirror apertures, and then demonstrated by high frequency structure simulator (HFSS). The calculated results show good agreement with the HFSS results for different mirror apertures while the QPF solution agrees with the HFSS results only for large apertures. The code is valid for arbitrary mirror apertures for both the confocal gyrotron and gyro-TWT applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To accurately measure the performance of dielectric loaded circuits for gyrotron traveling wave tubes, a novel topological structure to generate the TE21○ or TE01○ (superscript represents circular waveguide) mode is proposed and verified in this paper. The topology is constituted by an overmoded TE10□ to TE20□ (superscript represents rectangular waveguide) mode converter with multiple matching steps and a taper from TE20□ to TE21○ or TE01○ mode. This topology allows the TE21○ or TE01○ mode to be excited by changing the taper dimensions. Simulation results reveal that the TE21○ and TE01○ mode converters, respectively, have a 1-dB bandwidth of 12.8 and 9.3 GHz with an excellent performance. Converters for the back-to-back millimeter-wave measurements were fabricated with computerized numerical control and wire cutting techniques. Vector network analyzer measurements are in good agreement with the simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A new type of input/output coupler for sheet beam traveling wave tube is designed, analyzed, and measured in this paper. In the design, a special sloped coupling aperture distributed between two paralleled rectangular waveguides in H -plane is employed for compact dimensions, ease of fabrication, attainment of high power capacity, and more convenience for periodic cusped magnet focusing system. A nonlinear-curve profile with Chebyshev-curve distribution is applied to extend the operating frequency bandwidth while suppressing reflections to avoid generating oscillation in the slow-wave structure. Based on the analytical investigation and numerical simulation, an optimized sloping angle of the coupling aperture is obtained to improved performance. Simulations imply that the coupler achieves a broadband bandwidth ( S11< -20 dB) of 23 and 10 GHz in $W$ - and $Q$ -band, respectively, with coupling coefficient above −0.2 dB. Cold test results satisfactorily agree with simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article describes a dual-feed, L/S-dual-band-stacked, circularly polarized (CP) patch antenna designed for CubeSat. The antenna is formed by three layers and includes a stacked, dual-band patch antenna on the top and a metallic ground with an embedded feeding network at the bottom. Four stubs are symmetrically added around the periphery of each square patch to tune the operating frequency. The feeding network is made of two independent 3-dB branch-line hybrid couplers formed by striplines. A prototype of the designed antenna has been fabricated and measured. Simulated results show good agreement with measured results. Measured return loss is well below -15 dB, while the axial ratio (AR) is better than 2 dB at both operating frequency bands. Moreover, the measured half-power beamwidth (HPBW) exceeds 80? for both working frequencies. Space environment testing procedures were conducted and demonstrated high reliability and antenna stability. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]