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).

/pdf/state-of-the-art-of-high-power-gyro-devices-and-free-5avfirj4z9.pdf

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

Helically corrugated waveguide has been used in various applications such as gyro-backward wave oscillators, gyro-traveling wave amplifier and microwave pulse compressor. A fast prediction of the dispersion characteristic of the operating eigenwave is very important when designing a helically corrugated waveguide. In this paper, multi-mode coupling wave equations were developed based on the perturbation method. This method was then used to analyze a five-fold helically corrugated waveguide used for X-band microwave compression. The calculated result from this analysis was found to be in excellent agreement with the results from numerical simulation using CST Microwave Studio and vector network analyzer measurements.

/pdf/multi-mode-coupling-wave-theory-for-helically-corrugated-1vh7dxzp69.pdf

Multi-Mode Coupling Wave Theory for Helically Corrugated Waveguide

This report gives an update of the worldwide experimental achievements in the development of long-pulse gyrotron oscillators for fusion plasma heating, plasma diagnostics and materials processing. In addition, this work gives a short overview of the present development status of coaxial-cavity multi-megawatt gyrotrons, gyrotrons for technological and spectroscopy applications, relativistic gyrotrons, quasi-optical gyrotrons, cyclotron autoresonance masers, gyro-amplifiers, gyro-BWO's, free electron masers and of vacuum windows for such high-power mm-wave sources.

/pdf/state-of-the-art-of-high-power-gyro-devices-and-free-1mmeiw5vph.pdf

State-of-the-Art of High Power Gyro-Devices and Free Electron Masers. Update 2011. (KIT Scientific Reports ; 7606)

The gyrotron backward wave oscillator (gyro-BWO) is an efficient source of frequency-tunable high-power coherent radiation in the microwave to the terahertz range. It has attracted significant research interest recently due to its potential applications in many areas such as remote sensing, medical imaging, plasma heating and spectroscopy. A gyro-BWO using a helically corrugated interaction region (HCIR) has achieved an even wider frequency tuning range and higher efficiency compared with a conventional gyro-BWO with a smooth-bore cavity. This is due to the existence of an “ideal”eigenwave in the HCIR with a large and constant group velocity when the axial wave number is small.

/pdf/numerical-simulation-of-a-gyro-bwo-with-a-helically-2bunzvujob.pdf

Numerical simulation of a Gyro-BWO with a helically corrugated interaction region, cusp electron gun and depressed collector

Dieser Bericht geht auf den experimentellen Stand von Hochleistungs-Gyrotron-Rohren fur verschiedene Anwendungen ein. Auserdem wird uber frequenzdurchstimmbare Gyrotrons, Multi-MW-Gyrotrons mit koaxialem Resonator, Gyrotrons fur technologische und spektroskopische Anwendungen, relativistische Gyrotrons, Zyklotron-Autoresonanz-Maser, Gyroklystrons, Gyro-TWT-und Gyrotwystron-Verstarker, Gyro-RWO, Gyro-Harmonische-Konvertoren Gyro-Peniotrons, Magnicons, und Frei-Elektronen-Maser berichtet.

/pdf/state-of-the-art-of-high-power-gyro-devices-and-free-wis23tsqld.pdf

State-of-the-Art of High Power Gyro-Devices and Free Electron Masers. Update 2015 (KIT Scientific Reports ; 7717)

The paper presents new results on the development of a method to generate ultrahigh-power short-microwave pulses by using a known principle of compression (reduction in pulse duration accompanying with increase in pulse amplitude) of a frequency-swept wave packet propagating through a dispersive medium. An oversized circular waveguide with helical-corrugations of its inner surface ensures an eigenwave with strongly frequency dependent group velocity far from cutoff. These dispersive properties in conjunction with high rf breakdown strength and low Ohmic losses make a helically corrugated waveguide attractive for increasing microwave peak power. The experiments performed at kilowatt power levels, demonstrate that an X-band microwave pulse of 80 ns duration with a 5% frequency sweep can be compressed into a 1.5 ns pulse having 25 times higher peak power by optimizing the frequency modulation of the input wave packet.

Experimental results on microwave pulse compression using helically corrugated waveguide

The study of a coaxial free-electron maser (FEM) based on two-dimensional (2D) and one-dimensional (1D) distributed feedback, driven by a 70mm diameter, annular electron beam is presented. A new cavity formed with 2D and 1D periodic lattices, positioned at the input and output of the interaction region, respectively, was used. It has been demonstrated that 2D distributed feedback in the input mirror allowed 8mm radiation emitted from different parts of the electron beam to be synchronized. The FEM operating in the 35.9–38.9GHz frequency region generated 65MW, 150ns duration millimeter wave pulses which contained ∼10J of energy in the pulse.

Free-electron maser based on a cavity with two- and one-dimensional distributed feedback

High-power gigawatt-level radiation can be generated by the interaction of an electromagnetic wave and an annular electron beam with a transverse dimension much larger than the operating wavelength. The use of such a large-circumference annular beam allows the generation of high beam currents while also maintaining low space charge and RF power densities inside the interaction region. This circumvents the problems associated with potential depression in the beam channel and RF breakdown inside the oscillator. In this paper, we present the studies of high-current magnetically confined annular electron beams and discuss their production and transportation through a coaxial beam channel which formed the interaction region of a free-electron maser (FEM). The results from numerical simulations, using the software packages KARAT and MAGIC, are compared with the experimental measurements. The operation of a FEM, driven by a high-current annular electron beam, is presented, and the tunability of the maser, inside a frequency range defined by an input 2-D Bragg mirror, is demonstrated.

High-Current Electron Beams for High-Power Free-Electron Masers Based on Two-Dimensional Periodic Lattices

This paper describes the use of a helically corrugated waveguide as a dispersive medium for microwave pulse compression. The helically corrugated waveguide has a large variation of group velocity with frequency, but in a region where the group velocity remains large. Therefore this compressor does not suffer from reflections associated with cut‐off scenarios at frequencies close to its operating regime and may be used in conjunction with high power wideband tunable microwave sources and amplifiers.

RF Pulse Compression Using Helically Corrugated Waveguides

This paper gives a summary of the methods used to study the dispersion characteristics of helically corrugated waveguide. Analytical, numerical and experimental results for a five-fold helical waveguide are studied and compared.

P. MacInnes

Papers

Experimental results on microwave pulse compression using helically corrugated waveguide

Free-electron maser based on a cavity with two- and one-dimensional distributed feedback

High-Current Electron Beams for High-Power Free-Electron Masers Based on Two-Dimensional Periodic Lattices

RF Pulse Compression Using Helically Corrugated Waveguides

The dispersion characteristics of helically corrugated waveguide