United States Patent [191 [11] 4,345,220

Sullivan ' [45] Aug. 17, 1982

[54] HIGH POWER MICROWAVE GENERATOR Nonisochronic Re?ecting Electron System”, Physical
USING RELATIVISTIC ELECI‘RON BEAM Review Letters, vol. 39, Sep. 26, 1977, pp. 843-846.
IN WAVEGUIDE DRIFT TUBE Sullivan et al., “Simulation of Time Dependent Virtual,
[75] Inventor: Donald J. Sullivan, Albuquerque,’ N. Cathode Motion”, Bulletin of American Physical Soci
Mex. ety, vol. 23, Sep. 1978, p. 764.
Sullivan, “Autoacceleration Via Virtual Cathode Oscil
[73] Assignee: The United States of America as ' lation”, U.S. Air Force Report AFWL-DYP-TN-7
represented by the Secretary of the 9-103, Mar. 9, 1979.
Air Force, Washington, DC.
[21] Appl. No.: 120,809 Primary Examiner-Siegfried H. Grimm
Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Donald J. Singer; William
[22] Filed: Feb. 12, 1980 Stephanishen
[5 1] Int. Cl.3 ............................................. .. H03B 9/01
[52] U.S. Cl. ...................................... .. 331/79; 331/90; [s7] ABSTRACI‘
315/39 Coherent microwave radiation is generated in and
[58] Field of Search ..................... .. 331/79, 86, 90, 82; transmitted through a waveguide/drift tube by means
315/39, 39.51, 39.53, 39.55, 39.61, 3.5, 5, 5.33, of an injected relativistic electron beam the parameters
5.53, 5.54 of which, in combination with the waveguide/drift tube
[56] References Cited geometry and dimensions effect a virtual cathode oscil
lation condition within the waveguide/drift tube. Tun
U.S. PA'II‘ENT DOCUMENTS ing of the device is accomplished by manipulation of the
3,700,952 10/1972 Nation ................................ .. 315/15 relativistic electron beam parameters and/or wavegui
4,122,372 10/1978 Walsh ............................. .. 331/79X
de/drift tube physical dimensions.
OTHER PUBLICATIONS
Mahaffey et al., “High-Power Microwaves from a 1 Claim, 1 Drawing Figure

25
 4,345,220
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beams (100 keV-l MeV) that are compact and light
HIGH POWER MICROWAVE GENERATOR weight.
USING RELATIVISTIC ELECTRON BEAM IN These and other advantages, objects and features of
WAVEGUIDE DRIFT TUBE the invention will become more apparent after consider
ing the following description taken in conjunction with
STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT INTEREST the illustrative embodiment in the accompanying draw
The invention described herein may be manufactured mgs.
and used by or for the Government for governmental
purposes without the payment of any royalty thereon. 10
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The FIGURE is a schematic illustration of the high
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION ' power microwave generator apparatus in accordance
The present invention relates broadly to microwave with the present invention.
generators, and in particular to a high power micro
wave generator apparatus utilizing a relativistic elec DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED
tron beam to generate microwave energy as a conse EMBODIMENT
quence of induced virtual cathode oscillation. Micro Referring now to the FIGURE, there is shown a high
waves can be generated as direct radiation from electri power microwave generator apparatus which com
cal sparks across gaps by applying a high electric poten prises cylindrical waveguide/drift tube 10 with a coni
tial. The spark gap can also be a part of a very-high-fre cal horn 12 and an electron beam generator 14-. The
quency oscillating circuit which radiates electromag 20 parameters of the beam generated thereby are con
netic waves. Microwaves can also be derived from the trolled by control circuit 25. The waveguide/drift tube
thermal radiation of warm bodies. However all these 10 is connected to ground. The center conductor of a
sources are unsatisfactory because of the lack of purity ' coax cable from within the electron beam generator 14,
of the wave and the low power of the radiation. Some extends into one end of the waveguide/drift tube 10 to
important microwave generators are known as kly 25 provide a cold ?eld emission cathode 16. An aluminized
strons, magnetrons, and traveling-wave tube oscillators. Mylar foil 18 is positioned within the waveguide/drift
Their power outputs range from microwatts to thou tube 10 and in front of the cathode 16 to provide an
sands of kilowatts, depending upon the type and design anode. The region 20 that is formed by the Mylar foil
of the generator and the operating frequency.
30 anode 18, the waveguide/drift tube 10, and the electron
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION beam generator 14, all of which enclose the cathode 16,
may be evacuated to provide a vacuum diode. While
The present invention utilizes a relativistic electron
beam to generate coherent electromagnetic traveling the amount of vacuum applied to region 20 is not criti
waves i.e., microwaves. The waves travel in a trans cal, a vacuum in the order of 10-5 TORR is typical.
verse magnetic (TM) waveguide mode. Microwave 35 The remaining portion of the waveguide/drift tube 10
generation takes place when the injected current of the between the Mylar foil anode 18 and the conical horn 12
electron beammachine exceeds the space-charge limit must also be evacuated. This is accomplished through
ing current of the waveguide/drift tube to which it is the use of a microwave window 30 which is positioned
attached. This results in the formation of an oscillating between the waveguide/drift tube 10 and the conical
virtual cathode. The oscillation frequency, which is in 40 horn 12 and also forms a gasket therebetween. The
the order of the plasma frequency of the electron beam conical horn 12 may be fastened to the waveguide/drift
mp", is the frequency of the generated microwaves. The tube 10 in any suitable conventional manner, such as the
wavelength is determined by the waveguide mode in use of a ?ange with bolts or a collar. The microwave
which the microwaves are transmitted. Due to the com window is also a conventional means for enclosing a
bination of generation and waveguide transmission the waveguide for various purposes such as providing a
microwaves are tuneable in power, frequency and vacuum region. It should be also noted that both the
wavelength via changes in beam kinetic energy, in aluminized Mylar foil 18 and the microwave window 30
jected current, and density and the waveguide dimen are both transparent to electron ?ow and or electro
sions, provided the injected current exceeds the space magnetic'radiation. An annular magnet 22 is positioned
charge limiting current. 50 around the vacuum diode region 20 to provide a cusped
It is one object of the present invention, therefore, to magnetic field. A virtual cathode region 32 is formed in
provide an improved high power microwave generator the area which is de?ned by ‘the foil 18, the walls of the
apparatus. 1 waveguide/drift tube that extend to the ends of the
It is another object of the invention to provide an magnets 22, and the imaginary line or plane 34 that is
improved high power microwave generator apparatus formed between the ends of the magnets 22. .
capable of generating high power microwaves in the In the mathematical analysis that follows the follow
order of 1010 to 1012 watts. ing definitions and relationships will be useful:
It is still another object of the present invention to The electronic space charge is given by as, where
provide an improved high power microwave generator
apparatus having high ef?ciency in the order of approx
imately 30% to 40%.
It is a further object of the present invention to pro e is the electronic charge, <I> is the electrostatic poten
vide an improved high power microwave generator tialéo, y is the relativistic factor, (l-B2)—‘i, y, is the
apparatus which is tunable in frequency, wavelength value of the 'y at injection, B=v/c, v is the electron
and power. . 65 velocity, m is the electron rest mass, and c is the speed
It is still a further object of ‘ the present invention to of light. The ?ve components in con?guration-momen
provide an improved high power microwave generator tum space are X1=zmp O/C, X2=ywp°/C, V1='y,Bz,
apparatus utilizing low energy relativistic electron V2='y/3,, V3=KYB9 where [3,, Br, and B9 are the compo
 4,345,220
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nents of ,8 in the z, 'y, and 0 directions, respectively. waves (electromagnetic radiation) which occurs in the
Also, cop°=(41rnb°e2/m)5 is the electron plasma fre virtual cathode region 32 is due to the re?ex action of
quency arising from the'beam density at injection, nbo. the electrons back and forth between the real and vir=
The symbol 1! is the beam current magnitude in units tual cathodes. The oscillation frequency is the fre
of mc3/e, in order to determine the maximum value of 5 quency of the generated microwaves. Solid or annular
Id) ]. The radial cross section of the ‘relativistic electron electron beams are viable. Virtual cathode oscillation
beam shown in the FIGURE is de?ned as follows:' and its applicability to microwave energy generation is
a is the inner radius, b the outer radius, R the drift further explained in detail in the US. Air Force report
tube radius, and ' ' AFWL-DYP-TN-79-103, dated Mar. 9, 1979 and enti
tled, Acceleration Via Virtual Cathode Oscillation, by
D. J. Sullivan 1979 Particle Accelerator Conference
Mar. 12-14, 1979, San Francisco, Calif. said publication
Furthermore, being incorporated herein by reference.
(1) (y,,— l)mc2=kinetic energy of electrons at anode, A speci?c embodiment of the present invention is
(2) v1: I1/(mc3/e), I1= magnitude of limiting current, shown in the FIGURE. In this example, the following
(3) wt: guide ?eld cyclotron frequency and,
(4) wp=plasma frequency at anode. waveguide dimensions and relationship are utilized,
The following formulae and mathematical analysis a=0, b=2.l cm, R=4.2 cm, m=l0 cm and L=l00
de?ne the space-charge limiting current of a relativistic cm. The waveguide dimensions are correct provided
electron beam in the strong guide-?eld limit. that:
20
nb=1012 crn_3, v0/v1='3, ‘10:33
mt _ 03/2 (la)
W G('yo,A) (annular beam) > 70:5 KE=2 MeV and I0=65 KA
111 z
(701 __ 1)3/2 (lb) 25 The electron beam machine has a kinetic energy of
m G('yo,A) (solid (’Yo—~ 1)mc2 and injected current of vo>v1 and prefera
bly vo> >v1. For an electron beam of set power but
variable energy and current, the most ef?cient way of
G(701A) =' generating microwaves would be to maximize ‘yo of the
with
machine provided 11023111 for the waveguide/drift tube
used. The mode of the TM wave can be selected by
(annular beam) (23) changing the radius of the drift tube/waveguide. How
ever, a change in radius and, therefore 'yl also effects
(solid beam) (2b) microwave frequency so that the two must be corre
Since 35 lated. A cusped magnetic ?eld from magnetic ‘?eld
producing means 22 is used to sweep any electrons
which are transmitted beyond the virtual cathode to the
waveguide/drift tube wall. No other axial magnetic
and ?eld is imposed in the present example. The beam diode
utilizes the grounded anode foil 18 in order to maintain
(J, a uniform ground plane across the radial cross section of
the beam 26. The electron beam 26 is solid in order to
minimize the value of w for the given con?guration.
it may be noted that the solid beam formulae follow The waveguide/drift tube is also grounded. The elec
from the annular beam formulae by noting that f, g—>0 45 tron beam machine has a cold emitting cathode and the
as e—>l. It may also be noted that the expression multi diode and waveguide/drift tube are evacuated.
plying G in (lb) is the well-known solid beam interpola The device of the invention is tunable in frequency
tion formula of Bogdankevich and Rukhadze, Sov. and wavelength by proper choice of relativistic elec
Phys.-Usp. 14, 163 (1971). The corresponding factor in tron ‘beam parameters and waveguide/drift tube physi
(la) generalizes this to annular beams and, in the present 50 cal dimensions. The beam parameters can be controlled
analysis, is the natural consequence of a lower ‘order by conventional control circuits (shown as block 25 in
approximation. the FIGURE) and the waveguide/drift tube can be
There are numerous variations on the present appara mechanically recon?gured or it can be replaced by a
tus which will produce high power microwaves in an unit of approximate size.
ef?cient manner. For example, the electron beam ma Although the invention has been described with ref
chine could use a foil diode, foilless diode, re?ex triode erence to a particular embodiment, it will be understood
or tetrode to produce the beam. A strong axial magnetic to those skilled in the art that the invention is capable of
?eld may or may not be utilized. The cylindrical a variety of alternative embodiments within the spirit
waveguide/drift tube may be straight walled, tapered, and scope of the appended claims.
stepped or rippled. Thus, it may be noted that many 60 What is claimed is: '
variations and combinations are possible and ef?cient in 1. A high power microwave generator comprising
microwave generation to a greater or lesser extent. The a waveguide/drift tube, the interior of said wavegui
only central phenomenon for the present high power de/clrift tube is maintained at a vacuum, and
microwave generator apparatus is that the injected an anode positioned within said waveguide/drift
current of an electron beam machine exceed the space tube, _
charge limiting current of the waveguide/drift tube in a relativistic electron beam ‘generator injecting a rela
order that an oscillating virtual cathode forms in the tivistic electron beam ‘along the longitudinal axis
virtual cathode region 32. The generation of micro thereof, said‘electron beam comprising an injected
 4,345,220
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electron beam current, said anode in alignment mined frequency, when‘said electron beam current
with said electron beam generator, said anode com- exceeds the space-charge limiting current of said
prises a grounded aluminum foil member travers- waveguide/drift tube, microwaves are generated,
ing said waveguide/drift tube in intercepting rela- a tuning means for tuning the frequency of said mi
tionship with said relativistic electron beam, said 5 crowaves, said tuning means comprises means for
anode functioning in conjunction with said elec- changing the physical dimensions of said wavegui
tron beam generator to form a virtual cathode, said de/drift tube, and for varying the parameters of
waveguide/drift tube having geometric dimensions said relativistic electron beam, and,
and said relativistic electron beam having current a magnetic ?eld means generating a cusp magnetic
parameters that in combination effect the virtual 10 ?eld around said waveguide/drift tube for focusing
cathode oscillation condition within said wavegui- said electron beam current at said virtual cathode.
de/drift tube to generate microwaves at a predeter- * * * * *

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