The development of broadband millimeter-wave and terahertz gyro-TWA

W. He, L. Zhang, C. R. Donaldson, H. Yin, K. Ronald, A. W. Cross, A. D. R. Phelps

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Abstract

The gyrotron travelling wave tube amplifiers (gyro-TWAs) presented in this paper can operate with high efficiency (30%), huge powers and wide bandwidths at high frequencies that no other amplifier can provide. In principle, this is a technology that can be scaled to >1 THz and operate with 20% bandwidths. Resonant coupling of two dispersive waveguide modes in a helically corrugated interaction region (HCIR) can give rise to a non-dispersive eigenwave over a wide frequency band. The synchronism between the ideal wave and an electron cyclotron mode, either fundamental or harmonic, of a large orbit electron beam contributes to the broadband amplification. An electron beam of 55 keV, 1.5 A with a velocity pitch angle of ~1 generated by a thermionic cusp gun is used in our 100 GHz gyro-TWA experiment, which achieves an unsaturated output power of 3.4 kW and gain of 36–38 dB. The design and experimental results of the many components making the gyro-TWA will be presented individually and then the whole system will be introduced. The amplification of a swept signal by the W-band gyro-TWA is demonstrated showing its capabilities in the field of telecommunications. Furthermore, the design studies of a cusp electron gun in the triode configuration and the realization of a 3-fold HCIR operating at 372 GHz will also be displayed.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)90-110
Number of pages22
JournalTerahertz Science & Technology
Volume13
Issue number3
Publication statusPublished - 30 Sept 2020

Keywords

  • gyro-TWA
  • corrugated waveguide
  • helically corrugated interaction region
  • broadband amplification
  • gyro-devices

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