Tunable 35–200GHz,high power,gyrotron

The extended frequency tuning range of the Strathclyde University gyrotron is demonstrated. The gyrotron consisted of a field-immersed, field emission cold cathode and a shaped anode cavity. The cavity was oversized with an ill-defined boundary at one end. This system could therefore support the oscillation of a very large number of TE_pqs modes. The maser was thus highly tunable via differential mode excitation. A heterodyne technique was used to demonstrate the maser oscillation in the Ka-band (26.5–40GHz), with the maser oscillating at 35GHz in the TE₀₁ mode. Previous to this a quasi-optical diffraction grating spectrometer was used to show the maser was oscillating under different conditions respectively, single and multi-mode in the W-band (75–110GHz) and multi-mode in the G-band (140–220GHz). To control the output beam a quasi-optical mode converter has been successfully developed. This converts various TE_pq modes into a Gaussian beam. Studying the output of the maser, the mm-wave pulse has been shown to consist of a ～100ns envelope containing ～2ns pulses spaced ～5ns apart. Although this behaviour may have several explanations, some of the most recent code simulations predict this behaviour as a result of mode beating in the complex transient start-up of the maser oscillation. Since this gyrotron not only supports many transverse modes, but also several longitudinal modes, such beating is a likely consequence.     

Megawatt, 330 Hz PRF tunable gyrotron experiments

Repetitively pulsed and cw gyrotrons have hitherto used thermionic cathodes, whereas cold cathode gyrotrons have normally operated as ‘single shot’ devices. The novel results presented here show that cold cathode gyrotrons can be successfully pulsed repetitively. A tunable gyrotron with a pulse repetition frequency (PRF) of 150Hz is demonstrated. This system developed >4MW mm-wave output pulses at 100GHz. The gyrotron is based on a two-electrode configuration comprising a field-immersed, field emission, cold cathode and a shaped anode cavity. A superconducting magnet was used to produce the homogeneous intra-cavity magnetic field and a cable pulser was used to drive the electron beam. This pulser produced up to a (200±20)kV pulse with 10ns rise time, a 100ns flat top, a 10ns decay with a characteristic impedance of 200Ω. The energy storage capacity of the cable pulser was 35J. The charging unit limited the maximum PRF to 330Hz. Due to spark gap switching limitations 330Hz was only obtainable in 5 to 10 pulse bursts. For substantial periods of the order of 30 seconds, 100Hz PRF was achieved over an oscillating range of 28 to 100GHz and 150Hz PRF was achieved at 80GHz. No degradation effects on the mm-wave output pulse was evident due to diode recovery time throughout this series of results. A subsequent conclusion is that the diode recovery time in our cold cathode gyrotron is less than 3ms.     

The Experiment of A 220 GHZ Gyrotron with a Pulse Magnet

A 220 GHz gyrotron with an 8 T pulse magnet has been designed, constructed and operated in Terahertz Research Center, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China. TE₀₃ mode is selected as the operation mode, which is less susceptible to the mode competition. Experimental results show the output power is achieved 11.5 kW with efficiencies of 12.8%, and the frequency is between 219.6 GHz and 234.2 GHz.     

A long-pulse,CARM oscillator experiment

Results of a long-pulse, cyclotron autoresonance maser (CARM) oscillator experiment are reported. A Stanford accelerator (SLAC 5045) klystron gun produced a 1 pis electron beam at 250-300 kV and 10-25 A at a repetition rate of up to 4 Hz. A beam α≡β⊥/β₁, variable from 0 to 1, was produced on this electron beam with a wiggler magnetic field near guide field resonance. The experiments were carried out with two different Bragg reflection resonators designed for the TE₁₁ mode. Using the first resonator, many harmonic gyrotron modes were observed in the 28-40GHz frequency range in the TE₂₁ and TE₀₁ modes and, for the first time, a second harmonic upshifted (CARM) TE₁₁ mode at 74-5 GHz. Using the second resonator, fundamental CARM operation was observed for many parameter settings, and for frequencies ranging from 29 to 32 GHz. Output powers ranged from ～01 kW to l00kW, resulting in efficiencies of 01% to 2%. Identification of CARM and gyrotron modes is made by comparison of measured frequencies with dispersion theory and measurement of the farfield radiation pattern. Comparison with theory indicates that the device efficiency is reduced by finite spread in the axial electron beam momentum.     

A W-band Third Harmonic Gyrotron with an Iris Cavity

The design and experimental results of a W-band gyrotron operating at the third cyclotron harmonic are presented. The gyrotron is designed to operate at the TE₆₁ mode, which is significantly distinct from competing modes. An iris cavity is employed for the purpose of trapping the third harmonic mode more effectively and lowering its start current. In the experiment, the gyrotron is drived by a triode magnetron injection gun (MIG) which can produce a 45 kV, 3 A electron beam. When maximum axial magnetic field is 1.22 T, a single mode third harmonic gyrotron radiation is observed with the frequency of 94.86 GHz. The maximum output power is 5.5 kW, corresponding to an efficiency of 4%. Another third harmonic mode TE₀₂ is also detected at 88.8 GHz, with maximum output power of 1.5 kW.     

Long Pulse Operation of the THz Gyrotron with a Pulse Magnet

Long pulse operation up to 1 msec of a high frequency gyrotron with a pulse magnet has been successfully carried out in a frequency range including 1 THz. In the experiments, the timing of an electron beam pulse injection is adjusted at the top of the magnetic field pulse, where the variation of field intensity is negligible. The operation cavity modes seem to be TE_{1, 12} and TE_4,12 at the second harmonics. The corresponding frequencies are 903 GHz and 1,013 GHz, respectively. Additionally several features of radiation measurement results of the gyrotron are described and brief considerations are presented.     

High power mode conversion for linearly polarized HE11 hybrid mode output

Efficient plasma heating by ECR-wave irradiation requires axisymmetric, narrow, pencil-like millimetre wave beams with well-defined polarization. The linearly polarized gaussian-like HE₁₁, mode satisfies these conditions best. This quasi-optical hybrid mode can be generated from TE_0n gyrotron mode compositions by the two multi-step mode conversion processes: (1) ΣTE_0n to TE₀₁ to TE₁₁ to HE₁₁ or (2) ΣTE_0n to TE₀₁ to TM₁₁ to HE₁₁. The first scheme has the advantage that the converters can all be made without bends, allowing an arbitrary choice and fast change of the polarization plane. The second scheme does not exhibit this advantage, but it is more suitable at very high frequencies (e.g. 140GHz) because efficient TE₀₁-to-TM₁₁ transducers can be made considerably shorter than serpentine TE₀₁-to-TE₁₁ mode converters. This paper presents computations on mode converter systems of the first type at 70GHz and of both types at 140GHz (ID = 27 · 8 mm for 200kW transmission lines). The structure of wall perturbations (phase-matched superposition of 2 or 3 different geometrical periods) in the rippled wall mode converters and the curvature distribution in the bent, smooth-walled TE₀₁-to-TM₁₁ mode transducer were optimized by numerically solving the corresponding coupled-mode differential equations. Computer-aided optimization of circumferentially corrugated mode converters has been achieved with a scattering matrix code employing the modal field expansion technique (modular analysis concept (MAC)). In all cases the predicted overall efficiency of the complete mode converter system from ΣTE_0n (predominantly TE₀₂ at 70GHz or TE₀₃ at 140GHz) to HE₁₁ in the desired polarization is approximately 95% at 70GHz and 92% at 140GHz (ohmic attenuation is included). Low-power measurements on the conversion efficiency of the various mode transducers are in excellent agreement with the predicted values. High-power operation has been successfully demonstrated using a pulsed 70GHz gyrotron (200kW, 100ms).     

Development of 394.6 GHz CW Gyrotron (Gyrotron FU CW II) for DNP/Proton-NMR at 600 MHz

Gyrotron FU CW II with an 8 T liquid He free superconducting magnet, the second gyrotron of the THz Gyrotron FU CW Series, has been constructed and the operation test was successfully carried out. It will be used for enhancing the sensitivity of 600 MHz proton-NMR by use of Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (DNP). The designed operation mode of the gyrotron is TE_2,6 at the second harmonic. The corresponding frequency is 394.6 GHz. The real operation frequency is 394.3 GHz at TE₀₆ mode, because of fabrication error of the diameter of the cavity. The operation is in complete CW at the output power of around 30 W or higher at the TE₀₆ cavity mode. There are many other operation modes at the fundamental and the second harmonic. Typical output power of the fundamental and the second harmonic are higher than 100 W and 20 W, respectively. The highest frequency observed up to the present is 443.5 GHz at the second harmonic operation of TE_6,5 mode. The measured results are compared with the theoretical consideration.     

High efficiency operation of a 140 GHz pulsed gyrotron

The operating characteristics of a 140 GHz pulsed gyrotron are reported. Total efficiencies of 36% and output powers of 175 kW have been obtained in single-mode operation. Measurements of power and efficiency have been made for a variety of modes between 120 and 160 GHz, and these results are in good agreement with predictions based on non-linear theory. The best results have been obtained with isolated asymmetric modes, such as the TE_{4, 2, 1} (127·3 GHz), TE_{2, 3, 1},(136·7 GHz) and TE_{3, 3, 1}(155·6 GHz). Although mode competition was found to prevent the TE_{0, 3, 1}, mode (139·5 GHz) from reaching the optimum operating conditions, an output power of 138 kW and total efficiency of 29% were achieved with this mode. A variety of new and highly accurate diagnostic techniques that have been developed to measure the power, frequency and mode content of the output radiation are reviewed. In addition, the operating characteristics of both laminar and non-laminar magnetron injection guns are compared. The high powers and efficiencies obtained in this experiment are promising for the extension of gyrotron output powers to the megawatt range.     

Performance Test of CW 300 GHz Gyrotron FU CW I

A 300 GHz CW gyrotron FU CW I has been developed and installed in the Research Center for Development of Far-Infrared Region, University of Fukui as a power source of a high frequency material processing system. Its performance was tested and the maximum power of 1.75 kW / CW has been attained at the beam voltage of 15 kV and the beam current of 1A. The maximum window power efficiency of 15.5% has been obtained at the cathode voltage slightly lower than 15 kV. This gyrotron is designed to deliver a Gaussian beam after mode conversion from the oscillation mode TE_22,8 in the cavity with a complex of an internal radiator and beam shaping mirrors. The detailed measurement with an infrared camera has confirmed that a Gaussian beam is radiated when the magnetic field strength B _c at the cavity is adjusted at a proper value. However, within a range of B _c , the output power is emerged into multiple directions, which suggests simultaneous oscillation of competing cavity modes.     

Operation of a 32 GHz gyrotron

The design and operation of a 32 GHz pulsed gyrotron are reported. The device is step-tuned between the TE_1,2 (24.16 GHz) and TE_0,2 (31.78 GHz) modes with cathode voltages ranging from 30 to 40kV and beam current up to 5.0A. Experimental frequencies are in close agreement with the self-consistent calculated values and in the TE_2,2 resonator mode an output peak power of 6kW corresponding to an 18% efficiency was measured by using a fast response calorimeter with a thermal sensitivity of 0.1°C/Wmin.     

Detailed Consideration of Experimental Results of Gyrotron FU CW II Developed as a Radiation Source for DNP-NMR Spectroscopy

A CW gyrotron for the sensitivity enhancement of NMR spectroscopy through dynamic nuclear polarization has been designed. The gyrotron operates at the second harmonic and frequency of 394.6 GHz with the main operating mode TE_0,6. Operating conditions of other neighboring cavity modes such as TE_2,6 at frequency of 392.6 GHz and TE_2,3 at frequency of 200.7 GHz were also considered. The experimental conditions of the gyrotron at low and high voltages are simulated. The output power of 56 watts corresponds to the efficiency of 2 percent at low voltage operation and frequency of 394.6 GHz is expected.     

8mm TE 13 Mode Gyrotron

The design of a 8mm TE ₁₃ mode gyrotron is given in this paper. Discussions about the selection of the dimensions of the RF structure and electron gun are presented. Calculated results of the operating parameters of the gyrotron are also given. At 37.5GHz, pulse power 56kW is obtained for the gyrotron manufactured according to our design. Mode pattern obtained by scorching method shows that the mode of the output millimeter wave is TE ₁₃.     

A 100 kW, 140 GHz pulsed gyrotron

The design and operation of a 100 kW, 140 GHz pulsed gyrotron are reported. To our knowledge, this is the highest frequency at which high gyrotron output power (>-100 kW) has been achieved. Results are presented for gyrotron operation in the range of magnetic field from 4 to 7 T, voltage from 23 to 80 kV and current up to 7.5 A. Near a value of magnetic field of 5.4 T, and output power of 100 kW was obtained at 140.4 GHz in single mode operation in the TE₀₃₁ resonator mode.     

Harmonic emission from high-power high-frequency gyrotrons

The results of a study of second-harmonic emission from a gyrotron designed for high-power high-frequency operation at the fundamental of the cyclotron frequency are presented. Stable, very narrow bandwidth second-harmonic cavity emission from 209 GHz to 302 GHz has been observed. An output power of 25 kW and efficiency of 6·5% in the TE_{11, 2, 1}, mode at 241 GHz is reported; this represents the highest power obtained to date from a high-frequency (> 100 GHz) harmonic gyrotron. These experiments have been carried out in a cavity for which the mode density is very high; the cavity diameter is approximately six free-space wavelengths for emission at the second harmonic. Mode competition between fundamental and second-harmonic modes is discussed. It is also shown that, in general, gyrotrons designed for high-power low-Q operation in overmoded cavities at the fundamental will also have high efficiencies and strong emission in second-harmonic modes. Prospects for high-frequency harmonic gyrotrons for plasma diagnostics and other applications are described     

High-power millimetre-wave mode converters in overmoded circular waveguides using periodic wall perturbations

This work reports on measurements and calculations (coupled mode equations) on the conversion of circular electric TE_0n gyrotron mode compositions (TE₀₁ to TE₀₄) at 28 and 70 GHz to the linearly polarized TE₁₁ mode by means of mode converter systems using periodic waveguide wall perturbations. Mode transducers with axisymmetric radius perturbations transform the TE_0n gyrotron mode mixture to the more convenient TE₀₁ mode for long-distance transmission through overmoded waveguides. Proper matching of the phase differences between the TE_0n modes and of lengths and perturbation amplitudes of the several converter sections is required. A mode converter with constant diameter and periodically perturbed curvature transfers the unpolarized TE₀₁ mode into the TE₁₁ mode which produces an almost linearly polarized millimetre-wave beam needed for efficient electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) of plasmas in thermonuclear fusion devices. The experimentally determined TE_0n -to-TE₀₁ conversion efficiency is (98 ± 1)% at 28 and 70 GHz (99% predicted) while the TE₀₁-to-TE,, converter has a (96 ± 2)% conversion efficiency at 28 GHz (95% predicted) and (94 ± 2)% at 70 GHz (93% predicted) with ohmic losses included in each case. This paper also presents theoretical and experimental results on the two-step TE₁₆-to-TE₁₂-to-TE₁₁ mode conversion at 28 GHz by means of two periodically rippled-wall mode converters. The conversion efficiencies achieved are almost 92% and 95%, respectively. Similar converters might be used for transformation of the output modes of future high-frequency TE_1n gyromonotrons or 10 GHz gyro-klystron amplifiers into the TE₁₁ mode, which in turn can then be transformed by circumferentially corrugated or dielectrically coated mode transducers into the perfectly linearly polarized quasi-optical HE₁₁ hybrid mode. The efficiency of periodically modulated wall mode-converters can be considerably improved by proper re-matching of the phase difference between the two converted modes within the converter.     

A Single-Ridged Coaxial Hybrid TE011 Coupler with High Mode Purity

We design a single-ridged coaxial hybrid coupler which excites a TE₀₁₁ mode of high mode content in a cylindrical cavity, resonating at 28.2GHz. The coupler consists of a WR-28 rectangular waveguide, a coaxial TE_n11 cavity, and a cylindrical TE₀₁₁ cavity. Both TE₃₁₁ coaxial cavity and TE₄₁₁ single-ridged coaxial cavity are analyzed to examine the TE₀₁₁ mode purity in the central cavity. Mode purity analysis is performed by a field expansion method using Fourier-Bessel orthonormal basis functions. Numerical calculations predict that the TE₄₁₁ single-ridged coaxial cavity excites the TE₀₁₁ mode with mode purity of 98.6%, which is improved by 3% higher compared with the TE₃₁₁ coaxial cavity. Measurements on the single-ridged coaxial coupler show a resonant frequency at 28.078GHz and ohmic and external Qs of 1560, 473 respectively, which are in good agreement with the simulated results of a 3-D finite element electromagnetic code.     

Conceptual design of a 42 GHz, 200 kW gyrotron operating in the TE5,2 mode

This paper deals with the conceptual design of a 42 GHz, 200 kW continuous wave gyrotron operating in the TE _5,2 mode with radial output coupling. The basic motivation and selection criteria are discussed and the design of the resonant cavity, magnetron injection gun, radio frequency (RF) guiding system, quasioptical output coupler and RF window is presented.     

Mode Selection for a Terahertz Gyrotron Based on a Pulse Magnet System

The TE_6,11 mode has been selected as a candidate for the second harmonic operation of a terahertz gyrotron at 1007.68 GHz. The predicted efficiency is 8.6 percent for the output power 0.38 kW. Time-dependent, multi-mode calculations have been carried out to investigate stability of a single-mode operation at second harmonic. It has been found that with the beam current 0.111 A and the magnetic field 19.282 T the second harmonic operation in the TE_6,11 mode is possible.     

Design of a Large Orbit Gyrotron with a Permanent Magnet System

The paper presents results of numerical analysis and outlines the computer-aided design of a novel high-harmonic gyrotron with a beam of electrons gyrating along axis-encircling trajectories. The electron beam is formed by a novel electron-optical system (EOS) based on an electron gun of diode type with thermionic cathode and gradual reversal of the magnetic field. The results of numerical simulations predict satisfactory performance of the EOS and appropriate beam quality parameters. The tube design allows one to install different cavities optimized for excitation of TE_4,1 mode at the fourth harmonic of the cyclotron frequency or TE_3,1 mode at the third one. The target parameters of the device are: frequency about 112 GHz; output power near 1 kW and efficiency of several percent.