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Development of a High Gain,
High
Dr. Jacob Haimson,
Ms. Beverly Mecklenburg, Business
Official, blmecklenburg@aol.com
DOE Grant No. DE-FG02-04ER83973
Amount: $725,000
Relativistic klystrons, presently under development for
linear collider applications, and existing high-power pulsed klystrons, used to
energize research linear accelerators, typically have amplification factors
(gain) between 45 and 55 dB. These
klystrons generally require pulsed vacuum tube drivers to supply input power
levels up to several hundred watts.
However, for applications in which a 20 dB klystron gain would be sufficient, these relatively complex vacuum-tube
driver systems could be replaced by small, low power, solid state sources,
resulting in considerable simplification and cost savings. This project will develop technology leading
to stable, high gain (>70 dB), high efficiency (>50 percent) klystron
performance. During Phase I, phase orbit
characteristics were analyzed and microwave parameters were established for an
asynchronously operated, tapered phase velocity, traveling wave output
structure designed for a 17 gigahertz relativistic klystron. To prevent parasitic oscillations, special
suppression circuits were designed and configured for contiguous assembly with
the high-gain-klystron, dual-feed-racetrack, output coupler. Phase II will be directed at engineering and
fabricating the traveling wave tapered phase velocity, high gain dual feed
output structure, parasitic oscillation suppression circuits, and the
associated evacuated rectangular waveguide components. In addition, the new high-gain-klystron and
waveguide components will be assembled; and the system will be tested to
evaluate the stability, efficiency and gain of the high power 17 gigahertz
klystron.
Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: The availability of stable, high gain klystron amplifiers should enable existing complex driver systems and associated pulsed helix and filament power supplies to be replaced by low power, simple solid state amplifiers.