A model of a diaphragmatic-waveguide traveling-wave tube

On the basis of a physical notions of the specific features of the slow-wave field distribution in the helix structure of a traveling-wave tube (TWT), various methods for controlling the amount of wave slowing and the slope of the dispersion characteristic are analyzed. The effect of the dielectric supports and correcting elements placed outside the helix is considered. In addition to the known methods for correcting dispersion through the use of a dielectric shield and longitudinally conducting elements, which weaken the interaction with the electron flow, new methods that provide both an efficient interaction with the electrons and the possibility of operation without backward-wave self-excitation at voltages higher than the voltages used with conventional helices are proposed and analyzed. With an analysis based on the equivalent-line method, it is shown that the slope of the helix dispersion characteristic can be decreased by the appropriate use of ring-shaped supports. Design solutions using the new methods of correction are considered. The history of development of ultrabroadband TWTs, including the work done in the Soviet Union on tubes with centrifugal electrostatic focusing, whose actual amplification band can be as wide as three octaves, is partially presented.     

Tape Analysis of an Inhomogeneously-Loaded Helical Slow-Wave Structure for Broad-Band Traveling-Wave Tubes

Theoretical simulation of the dispersion and interaction impedance characteristics of an inhomogeneously-loaded helical slow-wave structure is validated. The structure is supported by double-curve-shaped rods which are smoothed out into a number of dielectric tubes with their respective effective permittivity values. The effects of the helix thickness are taken into account by considering a free-space gap equal to the difference between the mean helix radius and the outer helix radius. Moreover, the helix tape model is used instead of the simpler sheath-helix model. The theoretical predictions are compared with those of MAFIA simulation. The dispersion error is found to be within 3–6 percent and the impedance characteristic is in great agreement with that of MAFIA simulation. At last, for the sake of comparison, the cold-test characteristics under sheath-helix model are also provided.     

Analysis of a Chiral Dielectric Supported Broadband Helix Slow-Wave Structure for Millimeter-Wave TWTs

A novel technique of broadbanding a helical slow-wave structure through negative dispersion shaping is proposed. The model considers a simple continuous chiral dielectric support for the helix inside a metallic barrel, unlike conventional helix slow-wave structures with three discrete dielectric supports at 120⁰ apart. The dispersion relation of the slow-wave structure was derived following sheath-helix abstraction, suitably benchmarked for special cases, and was used for analyzing the dispersion behavior of a typical slow-wave structure. Chiral dielectric loading could easily provide negative dispersion characteristics (required for broadband operation) by merely controlling the chirality parameter alone. The scheme with its simple geometric configuration is expected to be useful for millimeter-wave devices providing better thermal management.     

Interaction between the electron beam and the surface wave in a dielectric plate

A model of the traveling-wave tube (TWT) that includes a dielectric plate adjoining a perfectly conducting surface and a metal screen parallel to the plate is considered. The dispersion equation in the presence of a homogeneous electron beam filling the space between the plate and the screen is derived. The method of differentiation of the dispersion equation is used to obtain and calculate coefficients of the TWT characteristic equation and coupling and depression coefficients, i.e., coefficients determining the main properties of the TWT. The considered model is compared with an “impedance” comb structure and a cylindrical helix. Conclusions concerning the prospects of development of a “dielectric” TWT are drawn.     

Analysis of the Dispersion Characteristic and Interaction Impedance of a Tape Helix Slow Wave Structure with Novel Supporting Mode

In order to enhance the power capability of the helix travelling wave tube, a novel tape helix slow wave structure (SWS), which is supported by helically arrayed radial dielectric-support posts, is developed. Each dielectric post can be easily brazed with the tape helix and the metal envelope by means of a special soldering. This kind of supporting mode can protect the dielectric supporting posts from being broken by the thermal stress in the case of high temperature. A hybrid model is set up in consideration of the influences of both the radial thickness of the tape helix and these discrete dielectric-support posts. The dispersion equation and interaction impedance of the helical SWS are obtained. The calculated results using this hybrid model presented in the paper show good agreements with the HFSS simulation results. All the results presented here can provide a good basis for designing the novel tape helix SWS.     

Estimation of RF Parameters for Millimeter Wave Ring-Bar TWTS

In millimeter wave band, interaction impedance and efficiency of the ring-bar circuit are higher than helix. Ring-bar traveling wave tubes (TWTs) do not easy yield backward wave oscillation at high operating voltages. Thus ring-bar TWTs can reach higher power lever. On basic of computation of dispersion and interaction impedance, a fast estimation models of RF parameters for MMW ring-bar TWTs are given in this paper. It is available in designing tube to reduce developing period.     

Design formulas for helix dispersion shaping

A simple method of calculating effects of various boundaries around the helix on the dispersion relation and the interaction impedance is presented. The analytical technique is based on the use of equivalent circuit parameters derived from rigorous field analyses. The main advantage of this method is that effects of various perturbing objects (dielectrics, shields, etc.) can be calculated independently, regardless of the model of the unperturbed system. Equivalent circuit parameters are obtained for helices with several different forms of perturbing boundaries, including wedge-shaped dielectric rods, conducting boundaries, longitudinally conducting wires and fins, and combinations of these. The method of analysis is versatile so that the dispersion relation for any one particular form of the helix may be calculated from known characteristics of another using only three sets of universal curves.     

Analysis of the dispersion of the helical slow-wave system with dielectric supports

The effect of dielectric supports on the slowing factor and dispersion of the helical line in TWT is considered. A method for the calculation of the slowing down in the helical line with the complicated configuration of the dielectric supports is proposed. A procedure for the experimental study of dispersion in the helical slow-wave system is presented. The calculated results are compared with the experimental data.     

Analysis of tunable photonic crystal devices comprising liquid crystal materials as defects

The tuning properties of two-dimensional dielectric and metallic photonic crystals, which contain nematic liquid crystal materials as defect elements or layers, are thoroughly analyzed using appropriate formulations of the finite difference time domain (FDTD) method. Our methodology correctly incorporates the anisotropy introduced by the liquid crystal materials together with the dispersive properties of the metallic elements; it is used for calculating both the dispersion diagrams of the defect-free photonic crystal as well as the device response in the presence of the defect elements. Numerical simulations reveal that defect states originating from the liquid crystal impurities can be effectively tuned by the application of a local static electric field. Indeed, tuning ranges up to almost 100 nm can be achieved requiring operating voltages lower than 4 V. It is also concluded that the placement of a defect mode relative to the bandgap edges greatly influences both its linewidth as well as its tuning range.     

纵向导电翼片屏蔽螺旋线结构的色散计算

本文采用螺旋带模型,综合考虑了介质、纵向导电翼片屏蔽筒及导丝尺寸对结构色散的影响。导出了设计公式,与实测结果相当符合。 当R/S1.1,S/1.5时,相速理论值的误差在5％以下。提供了通用设计计算曲线,可供工程设计之用。     

Rigorous tape analysis of inhomogeneously-loaded helical slow-wavestructures

The inhomogeneously-loaded helical slow-wave structure is field analyzed by azimuthally smoothing out the discrete supports into a number of continuous dielectric tube regions of appropriate permittivity values. The analysis is made rigorous by removing the usual approximation of considering the radial propagation constant to be the same in the different structure regions; moreover, a tape-helix instead of a simpler sheath-helix model has been used to consider the space-harmonic effects. This renders the present analysis more general, accurate and capable of dealing with a wide range of structure parameters, and particularly makes it valid for large values of helix pitch angle, inhomogeneity and separation between the helix and the metal envelope of the structure. Further, structured expressions amenable to easy computation are presented with the help of the recurrence relations for various structure regions, and methods to use them effectively in an iterative cycle for the desired accuracy are suggested. The developed analytical expressions have also been checked by seeing that they pass on, as special cases, to those obtained earlier by making simplifying assumptions. In this comparison, care has been taken to account for the helix tape thickness by considering a free-space gap equal to the difference between the mean helix radius and the inner radius of the dielectric helix support. The results for the propagation characteristics of an inhomogeneously-loaded helical structure presented here are rather general and can readily be used for the structure design, performance evaluation, and control of any space harmonic of interest in a practical device     

理论分析毫米波螺旋线行波管慢波系统导体和介质损耗

该文基于夹持杆分层螺旋带模型和3维电磁场模型分析,详细研究了毫米波螺旋线行波管慢波系统的导体和介质损耗。螺旋带模型中介质损耗考虑为纵向传播常数的虚部,给出电磁场的解析解,导体损耗由螺旋线和管壳表面的面电流不连续性获得。3维电磁场模型分析通过本征模法,求解单周期结构的品质因数和周期储能,获得有限导电率导体和夹持杆陶瓷损耗角带来的慢波系统高频损耗。结果表明,毫米波段螺旋线的导体损耗和夹持杆的介质损耗远大于管壳导体损耗,介质损耗与陶瓷损耗角呈线性关系,对高频损耗的影响不可忽略。     

一种具有新型分立介质支撑的翼片加载螺旋带慢 波结构的研究

本文研究了一种具有新型分立介质支撑的翼片加载螺旋带慢波系统,该种慢波系统具有较高的功率容量和较宽的带宽.通过用切比雪夫多项式来展开螺旋带上的面电流,用真空层来模拟螺旋带的厚度,用均匀分层介质来等效新型分立介质支撑,考虑到过渡连接金属块的影响,用场论的方法得到了非常实用的色散方程和耦合阻抗的表达式,同时进行了HFSS模拟,发现用场论的方法所得出的结果与用HFSS模拟的结果吻合良好.本文的结果对这种新型慢波结构的设计具有指导意义.     

Analysis of Helix Slow Wave Structure for High Efficiency Space TWT

This paper describes the analysis of helix slow-wave structure (SWS) for a high efficiency space traveling wave tube that is carried out using Ansoft HFSS and CST microwave studio, which is a 3D electromagnetic field simulators. Two approaches of simulating the dispersion and impedance characteristics of the helix slow wave structure have been discussed and compared with measured results. The dispersion characteristic gives the information about axial propagation constant (Beta). Which in turn yields the phase velocity at a particular frequency. The dispersion and impedance characteristics can be used in finding the pertinent design parameters of the helix slow-wave structure. Therefore a new trend has been initiated at CEERI to use Ansoft HFSS code to analysis of the helix slow wave structure in its real environment. The analysis of the helix SWS for Ku-band 140W space TWT has been carried out and compared with experimental results, and found is close agreement.     

毫米波螺旋线行波管慢波系统高频损耗

基于夹持杆分层螺旋带模型和三维电磁场分析研究了毫米波螺旋线行波管慢波系统的导体和介质损耗。螺旋带模型中介质损耗考虑为纵向传播常数的虚部,给出螺旋带中电磁场的解析解,导体损耗由螺旋线和管壳表面的面电流不连续性获得。三维电磁场分析通过本征模法,求解单周期结构的品质因数和周期储能获得有限导电率导体和夹持杆陶瓷损耗角带来的慢波系统高频损耗。结果表明,毫米波段螺旋线的导体损耗和夹持杆的介质损耗远大于管壳导体损耗,介质损耗与陶瓷损耗角呈线性关系,对高频损耗的影响不可忽略。     

Impedance and dispersion characteristics of the flattened helix

Curves are presented which give the dispersion and impedance characteristics of a flattened helix in the presence of a dielectric material and a metal shield. The impedance curves are very similar to the corresponding curves for a round helix whose circumference is equal to the perimeter of the flattened helix. The flattened helix has dispersion characteristics similar to a round helix whose diameter equals the flattened helix thickness.     

Cherenkov radiation in a plasma-filled coaxial cylindrical dielectric slow-wave structure

In this paper, a new type of plasma-filled coaxial cylindrical dielectric slow-wave structure that is very beneficial to the beam-wave interaction of the high-power microwave source is developed. The Cherenkov radiation in the plasma-filled coaxial cylindrical dielectric slow-wave structure is examined by use of the self-consistent linear field theory. The dispersion equation and the synchronized condition as well as the wave growth rate of the beam-wave interaction are derived. The dispersion equation clearly shows that the Cherenkov radiation excited in the plasma-filled coaxial cylindrical dielectric slow-wave structure results from the coupling between the slow electromagnetic wave, TM-modes, propagated along the slow-wave structure and the negative-energy space-charge wave propagated along the relativistic electron beam. The numerical results indicate that the dispersion curves are divided into two branches due to the presence of the background plasma in the coaxial cylindrical dielectric slow-wave structure for the identical electromagnetic wave mode, and the radial distributions of the longitudinal fluctuating electric field corresponding to the two dispersion curve branches are completely different. Injection of the background plasma into the slow-wave structure can enhance the output frequency and the wave growth rate of the beam-wave interaction and enables the high-power microwave source that utilizes this kind of slow-wave structure to gain more output power of the microwave with higher output frequency.     

Study on Effects of Different Metallic Vane-Loaded Helix Slow-Wave Structures in Traveling-Wave Tubes

The effects of different metallic vane-loaded helix slow-wave structures of a traveling-wave tube are proposed based on the analysis of the Fourier expansions of the exterior region with metallic vanes. The influences of the metallic vanes dimensions on the phase velocity and interaction impedance are considered in detail. The computed data is compared with the reference data in the 0−16 GHz frequency range with a good consistency. The analytical results reveal that the method of using Fourier expansions can contribute effectively to the reducing of the error between the theoretical and experimented data (around 1.2%). By analyzing the computed results, the performances of the helix slow-wave structure, with T-shaped metallic vanes are superior to the sector-shaped with the same designed parameters. Adjustments can be made to the outer radius of T-shaped metallic vanes which then control the dispersion relation showing either negative or positive, and it is similar to sector-shaped vanes by adjusting its inner radius. And with increasing the distance between the helix and metallic vanes, the dispersion characteristics and interaction impedance of the helix slow-wave structure with T-shaped/sector-shaped metallic vane are all improved.     

A numerical analysis of wire antennas loaded withvaristor-composite materials

The behavior of wire antennas loaded at the driving point with varistor-composite materials is analyzed in the time domain via a numerical formulation. Varistor-composite materials are nonlinear transient arresters with a subnanosecond response time. Connecting these nonlinear elements in parallel with the feeding transmission line and adjusting the characteristic curves of varistor materials (i.e., current density and dielectric constant versus electric-field strength), the nonlinear load drains off currents of excessive potential levels. At operating voltages the material presents a higher impedance path and the arrester interference with the normal operation of the antenna under protection is minimal