This paper presents a review of the experimental achievements related to the development of high-power gyrotron oscillators for long-pulse or CW operation and pulsed gyrotrons for many applications. In addition, this work gives a short overview on the present development status of frequency step-tunable and multi-frequency gyrotrons, coaxial-cavity multi-megawatt gyrotrons, gyrotrons for technological and spectroscopy applications, relativistic gyrotrons, large orbit gyrotrons (LOGs), quasi-optical gyrotrons, fast- and slow-wave cyclotron autoresonance masers (CARMs), gyroklystrons, gyro-TWT amplifiers, gyrotwystron amplifiers, gyro-BWOs, gyro-harmonic converters, gyro-peniotrons, magnicons, free electron masers (FEMs), and dielectric vacuum windows for such high-power mm-wave sources. Gyrotron oscillators (gyromonotrons) are mainly used as high-power millimeter wave sources for electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH), electron cyclotron current drive (ECCD), stability control, and diagnostics of magnetically confined plasmas for clean generation of energy by controlled thermonuclear fusion. The maximum pulse length of commercially available 140 GHz, megawatt-class gyrotrons employing synthetic diamond output windows is 30 min (CPI and European KIT-SPC-THALES collaboration). The world record parameters of the European tube are as follows: 0.92 MW output power at 30-min pulse duration, 97.5% Gaussian mode purity, and 44% efficiency, employing a single-stage depressed collector (SDC) for energy recovery. A maximum output power of 1.5 MW in 4.0-s pulses at 45% efficiency was generated with the QST-TOSHIBA (now CANON) 110-GHz gyrotron. The Japan 170-GHz ITER gyrotron achieved 1 MW, 800 s at 55% efficiency and holds the energy world record of 2.88 GJ (0.8 MW, 60 min) and the efficiency record of 57% for tubes with an output power of more than 0.5 MW. The Russian 170-GHz ITER gyrotron obtained 0.99 (1.2) MW with a pulse duration of 1000 (100) s and 53% efficiency. The prototype tube of the European 2-MW, 170-GHz coaxial-cavity gyrotron achieved in short pulses the record power of 2.2 MW at 48% efficiency and 96% Gaussian mode purity. Gyrotrons with pulsed magnet for various short-pulse applications deliver Pout = 210 kW with τ = 20 μs at frequencies up to 670 GHz (η ≅ 20%), Pout = 5.3 kW at 1 THz (η = 6.1%), and Pout = 0.5 kW at 1.3 THz (η = 0.6%). Gyrotron oscillators have also been successfully used in materials processing. Such technological applications require tubes with the following parameters: f > 24 GHz, Pout = 4–50 kW, CW, η > 30%. The CW powers produced by gyroklystrons and FEMs are 10 kW (94 GHz) and 36 W (15 GHz), respectively. The IR FEL at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility in the USA obtained a record average power of 14.2 kW at a wavelength of 1.6 μm. The THz FEL (NOVEL) at the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics in Russia achieved a maximum average power of 0.5 kW at wavelengths 50–240 μm (6.00–1.25 THz).

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State-of-the-Art of High-Power Gyro-Devices and Free Electron Masers

A THz gyrotron with a pulse magnet has been designed, constructed and operated in FIR FU It is developed as one of high frequency gyrotrons included in Gyrotron FU Series The gyrotron has already achieved the first experimental result for high frequency operations whose radiation frequency exceeds 1 THz In this paper, the design detail and the operation test results for sub-terahertz to terahertz range are described The second harmonic operation is confirmed experimentally at the expected frequency of 1005 THz due to TE6,11 cavity mode at the magnetic field intensity of 190 T

THE FIRST EXPERIMENT OF A THz GYROTRON WITH A PULSE MAGNET

High frequency, medium power gyrotrons (Gyrotron FU series) have been developed at Fukui University as radiation sources covering a broad band from millimeter to submillimeter wave region. They have already been applied to high frequency electron spin resonance and to submillimeter wave scattering in plasma. Many parameters of the gyrotron series could be useful for applications in several new areas. The development and some applications of the Gyrotron FU series are summarized in this paper.

Development of frequency tunable, medium power gyrotrons (Gyrotron FU series) as submillimeter wave radiation sources

The development of small-orbit gyrotrons operating at voltages /spl les/100 kV is reviewed. Gyrotron oscillators have been developed to produce unprecedented 200-kW average power levels at frequencies spanning the range of 28-140 GHz with current work aimed at achieving 1-MW average power. They are widely used in plasma-heating studies and are the natural choice for material processing in the millimeter-wave region. Gyrotron amplifiers have exceeded the peak power limits of more conventional amplifiers at both 35 and 94 GHz, and have been used in a few radars. Gyro-amplifiers under development have been designed to surpass both the peak power and the average power limits of conventional amplifiers, and are anticipated to be widely accepted in millimeter-wave radar systems. Gyrotron amplifiers operating at voltages /spl sim/0.5 MV that are being evaluated for accelerator applications were reviewed in this journal in 1996 and are not included in this review paper,.

A quarter century of gyrotron research and development

A relativistically intense femtosecond laser pulse propagating in a plasma channel undergoes dramatic photon deceleration while propagating a distance on the order of a dephasing length. The deceleration of photons is localized to the back of the pulse and is accompanied by compression and explosive growth of the ponderomotive potential. Fully explicit particle-in-cell simulations are applied to the problem and are compared with ponderomotive guiding center simulations. A numerical Wigner transform is used to examine local frequency shifts within the pulse and to suggest an experimental diagnostic of plasma waves inside a capillary.

Asymmetric self-phase modulation and compression of short laser pulses in plasma channels.

GYROTRON FU IV, a frequency tunable gyrotron for spectroscopy in the submillimeter wavelength range using a 17 T superconducting magnet, has been designed and constructed. Simulations predict that the gyrotron will emit radiation at high frequencies up to 394 GHz (TE041 cavity mode) at the fundamental of the electron cyclotron frequency, up to 858 GHz (TE091 mode) at the second harmonic and up to 1301 GHz (TE8 11 1 mode) at the third harmonic. Preliminary experimental results have demonstrated operation from 158 to 443 GHz at the fundamental and from 336 to 838 GHz at the second harmonic. Output powers are several hundred watts and efficiencies several percent.

Development of a medium power, submillimeter wave gyrotron using a 17 T superconducting magnet

The development of a submillimeter wave, high‐harmonic gyrotron using a 12 T superconducting magnet is described. It has achieved frequencies as high as 636 GHz (corresponding to a wavelength of 472 μm) in second harmonic operation. Many resonances could be obtained as a single mode without competing modes. Typical output power is several hundred watts at both the fundamental and the second harmonic. At low beam currents (Ib∼0.5 A), third harmonic operation has been obtained.

Development of submillimeter wave gyrotron using 12 T superconducting magnet

Submillimetre wave gyrotron (gyrotron FU IV) for plasma diagnostics

Experimental results of the amplitude modulation of the output of a submillimeter wave gyrotron are presented. The 100% modulation of the output at frequencies up to several hundred kilohertz has been achieved with anode modulation levels of only a few percent. A good account of the experimental results is given by including a small modulation of the anode voltage in an energy transfer formula and then calculating the power output.

High‐frequency, amplitude modulation of a submillimeter wave, medium power gyrotron

An experimental study of the rapid step‐switching of the frequency of a submillimeter wave gyrotron is described. Modulation of the energy of the electron beam in turn modulates the electron mass and hence the cyclotron resonance frequency fc or its second harmonic 2fc, while the magnetic field B0 remains the same. This opens up the possibility of switching from one cavity mode to another. The first experimental results for frequency switching between two fundamental modes and between a fundamental and a second harmonic mode are demonstrated.

K. Ichikawa

Papers

Development of a medium power, submillimeter wave gyrotron using a 17 T superconducting magnet

Development of submillimeter wave gyrotron using 12 T superconducting magnet

Submillimetre wave gyrotron (gyrotron FU IV) for plasma diagnostics

High‐frequency, amplitude modulation of a submillimeter wave, medium power gyrotron

Rapid frequency step-switching of a submillimeter wave gyrotron by modulation of the electron beam