Deflection modulated electron vacuum tubes

• Applicant: Professor Dr.-Ing. Heino Henke
• Subject Area: Electronic Semiconductors, Components and Circuits, Integrated Systems, Sensor Technology, Theoretical Electrical Engineering
• Term: from 2006 to 2010
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 26886396

The field of microwave tubes is very old and it is improbable to find new principles. On the other hand, new fabricational technologies have become available and the push to higher frequencies is ever increasing. This may open avenues to realize new devices which were not possible before. The proposal aims for investigating trajectory-modulated or deflection-modulated devices in the range of 30 - 100 GHz. It is expected, that the linearity is better than in existing devices due to reduced spacecharge effects, and that the efficiency of a depressed collector is higher in case of monoenergetic beams. In particular, planar devices should be studied which are well suited for new technologies like deep x-ray lithography (LIGA) and wire electro-discharge-machining (EDM). As an example, a planar oscillator tube should be modeled and simulated. Here a continuous beam passes through a cavity resonator and will be energy modulated. In a following dipole magnet the beam is bent by 180° and performs transverse displacement oscillations. The backward traveling beam passes the same cavity at a different transverse position with a voltage node and pumps energy into the cavity. The field in the cavity builds up from noise until it reaches saturation.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants