MICROWAVE TUBES

GENERATION OF MICROWAVE
SIGNAL

Microwave Tubes klystron, reflex

klystron, magnetron and TWT.

Diode semiconductor Tunnel, Gunn,

Impatt, Varactor diodes, PIN, LSA,
Schottky barrier diode.

CROSSED-FIELD AND LINEAR-BEAM

TUBES
Klystrons and Traveling-Wave tubes are
examples of linear-beam tubes
These have a focused electron beam (as
in a CRT)
Magnetron is one of a number of crossedfield tubes
Magnetic and electric fields are at right
angles

Introduction

Microwave tubes are constructed to overcome the

limitations with conventional tubes and UHF tubes.

Principle of Operation: The basic principle of operation of microwave tube

involves transfer of power from a source of DC
voltage to source of AC voltage by means of a current
density modulated electron beam.
The same can be achieved by accelerating electrons in
a static electric field and retarding them in an AC field.

Contd..
The density

modulation of the electron beam allows

more electrons to be retarded by an AC field than
accelerated by DC field, which therefore makes possible
a net energy be delivered to the ac electric field.

Classification of microwave tubes:

The classification is based on different factors.

Their mechanism of producing density modulation.
The acceleration and retardation of electrons in the ac field.

Important types are: Klystron amplifier (two cavity,multy cavity)

Klystron oscillator (reflex klystron)
Magnetron
Traveling Wave Tube(TWT)

Microwave Tubes

Microwave
tubes

Average power

1 MW

Limited life time

High vacuum

1 KW

1W

Higher power

High potential
Microwave
semiconductor
devices

Lower weight
Smaller size
Longer life time

1mW
0.3
300

3
10
30
Frequency (GHz)

100

Two possible methods of achieving high

output power in microwave system

Low power
High power tube
semiconductor
amplifier
oscillator

High power
tube
oscillator

Important Parameters

Average power
Gain
Frequency

Peak power
Efficiency
Bandwidth

Harmonic and spurious power

Manufacturability at low cost

Intermodulation products

(%)

Gain
(dB)

Relative
spurious
level

Relative
operating
voltage

Relative
complexity
of operation

1-10

20-50

6-15

Low

Klystron

1-5

30-70

40-60

High

Helix tube

30-120

20-40

30-50

High

Coupled
cavity tube

5-40

20-40

30-50

High

Type

Relative
BW (%)

Gridded tube

Average power
10 MW

Peak power
1000 MW

Klystron
1 MW

100 MW

100 KW
10 KW

1 KW

Gridde
d tube

Coupled
cavity
TWT

Helix
TWT

100 W

Klystron

10 MW
1 MW

Coupled
cavity
TWT

Gridde
d tube
Helix
TWT

100 KW
10 K W

0.3 1
3 10 30 100
300 Frequency (GHz)

0.3 1
300

10

30

100

Frequency (GHz)

Conventional Tubes
Conventional Device tubes cannot be
used for frequencies above 100MHz
1. Interelectrode capacitance
2. Lead Inductance effect
3. Transit time effect
4. Gain Bandwidth limitation
5. Effect of RF losses (Conductance,
dielectric)
6. Effect due to radiation losses

Efficient Microwave tubes usually operate

on the theory of electron velocity
modulation concept
The electron transit time is used in the
conversion of dc power to RF power

Klystron Tubes
A klystron is a vacuum tube that can be
used either as a generator or as an
amplifier of power, at microwave
frequencies.

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Unit 2 Lecture 6

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KLystron
Used in high-power amplifiers
Electron beam moves down tube past
several cavities.
Input cavity is the buncher, output
cavity is the catcher.
Buncher modulates the velocity of the
electron beam

KLYSTRON
There are two basic configurations of klystron
tubes
1. Reflex Klystron used as a low-power
Microwave oscillator
2. Multi cavity klystron used as low-power
microwave amplifier

The major element are;

An electron gun to form and accelerate a beam of electrons
A focusing magnet to focus the beam of electrons through the
cavities
Microwave cavities where the electron beam power is
converted to microwave power
A collector to collect the electron beam after the microwave
power has been generated
A microwave input where the microwave signal to be
amplified is introduced into the klystron
A microwave output where the amplified microwave power is
taken out

Principle
Velocity modulated tube
High velocity electron beam is generated
by an electron gun and sent down along a
gas tube through an input cavity
(BUNCHER), drift space (FIELD FREE)
and an output cavity (CATCHER) to a
collector electrode anode.
The anode is kept positive to receive the
electrons, while the output is taken from
the tube via resonant cavities with the aid
of coupling loops

Two grids of the buncher cavity are

separated by a small gap A while the two
grids of the catcher cavity are separated by
a small gap B.

REENTRANT CAVITIES
Cavities with metallic boundaries
extended into the interior of the cavity.
Coaxial cavity support infinite number
of resonant frequencies.

Reentrant cavities

Multicavity Klystron

Applications

As power output tubes

1. in UHF TV transmitters
2. in troposphere scatter transmitters
3. satellite communication ground station
4. radar transmitters
As power oscillator (5 50 GHz), if used
as a klystron oscillator

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Two Cavity Klystron Oscillator

Klystron amplifier can be converted into oscillator by

feeding back a part of catcher output to into the buncher in
proper phase.
But the feed backing should be satisfy Barkhausen criterion.
A = 1
The schematic is same as of amplifier expect the feedback
need to be added.
The feedback must be adjusted to give correct polarity and
amplitude which is basically depends on cavity tuning.
The criterion for oscillation is given by
Where + /2 is the phase angle difference between buncher and catcher
cavity.
is the total phase shift between resonator and the feedback cable.

Contd

If the value of is zero means the oscillations are in

phase.
The maximum power output is obtained at this condition.
Also when a small change in the de accelerating voltage
it cause change in the frequency since transit angle
varies.
Tuning of the oscillator is done by adjusting the grid
voltage, accelerating voltage and tuning the cavities.
High frequency oscillations are obtained by controlling
the temperature of the resonators.

Buncher

The cathode controls the number of electrons in the electron

beam and focuses the beam. The voltage between the
cathode and the cavity resonators (the buncher and the
catcher, which serve as reservoirs of electromagnetic
oscillations) is the accelerating potential and is commonly
referred to as the beam voltage. This voltage accelerates the
DC electron beam to a high.

Klystron

Microwave
input

Electron
beam

Microwave
output

Beam
collector

Electro
n Gun

Intermediate
cavity

KLYSTRON

A klystron is a specialized linear-beam vacuum tube,

invented
in
1937
by
American
electrical
engineers Russel and Sigurd Varian, which is used as
an amplifier for high radio frequencies, from UHF up
into the microwave range or generator of power at mw
frequencies.

Two Cavity Klystron Amplifier

Two cavity klystron amplifier is basically a
velocity modulated tube.
Construction:

Here a high velocity electron beam is formed , focused

and sent down along a glass tube through an input cavity
(buncher ), a field free drift space and an output cavity
(catcher ) to a collector electrode.
The anode is kept positive potential with respect to
cathode.
The electron beam is passed through the gap A .
The input and output is taken from the tube via resonant
cavities with the help of coupling loops.

Two cavity klystron amplifier

OPERATION

Operation can be best explained by the help of apple

gate diagram

Contd
Initial stage
At point B on the input RF cycle, the alternating voltage is
zero and going to be positive.
At this instant, the electric field across gap A is zero and an
electron which passes through the gap A is unaffected by the
RF signal.
Let this electron is called the reference electron eR and travels
with an unaffected velocity v0 =
.
Where V is the anode to cathode voltage

Contd
Second stage
At point C of the input RF cycle again we are passing
electron called late electron el as compared to the reference
electron.
the late electron is subjected to maximum positive RF
voltage and hence travel towards gap B with an increase
velocity than V0 (V>V0 ) , and these electron overtakes
reference electron.
Similarly an early electron ee that passes thorough the gap A
slightly before the reference electron is subjected to the
maximum negative field.
So these electron travels with the reduced velocity than v0.
Later these electrons ee are catch up by reference electron.

As a result of these actions the electrons in the bunching limit

gradually bunch together as they travel down in the drift
space from gap A to B.
The drift space converts the velocity modulation into current
modulation.

Performance characteristics:Frequency : 250MHz to 100GHz.

2. Power : 10 kW 500kW
3. Power gain : 15dB 70 dB.
4. Theoretical efficiency : 58%.
1.

Applications :1. As

power output tubes

I. In UHF TV transmitters.
II. In troposphere scatter application
III. Radar transmitters

2. As

power oscillators.

Two cavity Klystron Amplifier

VELOCITY MODULATION
Electric field from microwaves at
buncher alternately speeds and slows
electron beam
This causes electrons to bunch up
Electron bunches at catcher induce
microwaves with more energy
The cavities form a slow-wave
structure

The initial velocity of electron is

V0 = electron accelerating high DC

voltage
Microwave signal is applied at input, the
gap voltage at buncher becomes, V1 <
V0

The gap transit angle is , transit time

The aver. Micro wave voltage Vs at buncher
gap can be calculated.
Performance is measured with beam

Velocity modulation diagram

Bunching Process
The velocity modulation bunches the
microwave and high velocity electron
beam.
The slower electrons and faster
electrons bunches together and
generates velocity modulation.
An optimum distance between
buncher cavity and catcher cavity.
X is the bunching parameter of
klystron.

Applegate Diagram two cavity

klystron

Applegate diagram

Multicavity Klystron

The problem associated with the two cavity klystron

amplifier is that the gain is about 10 to 20 dB.
A higher overall gain can be achieved by connecting several
two cavity tubes in cascade manner.
Instead of these multiple cavities can be used as shown
below,

Contd

Here each of the intermediate cavities act as a

buncher.
With four cavities power gain of 50 dB can be easily
achieved.
The cavities can be tuned to the same frequency.

Applications:These are employed in UHF klystron for TV

transmitters
In satellite earth station transmitters.

REFLEX KLYSRON
A fraction of output is feed back to
input with 360 degree phase shift.
It is a low power oscillator
Single cavity Klystron
Low power generator, 10-500mw
power, 1 to 25 Ghz range.
The microwave frequencies are
generated due to velocity modulation.

Performance Characteristics
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Frequency: 4 200 GHz

Power: 1 mW 2.5 W
Theoretical efficiency : 22.78 %
Practical efficiency : 10 % - 20 %
Tuning range : 5 GHz at 2 W 30 GHz
at 10 mW

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Reflex Klystrons
The

reflex klystron has been the most

used source of microwave power in
laboratory applications.

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Reflex Klystron oscillator

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Unit 2 Lecture 6

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Construction

A reflex klystron consists of an electron gun, a cavity with a

pair of grids and a repeller plate as shown in the above
diagram.
In this klystron, a single pair of grids does the functions of
both the buncher and the catcher grids.
The main difference between two cavity reflex klystron
amplifier and reflex klystron is that the output cavity is
omitted in reflex klystron and the repeller or reflector
electrode, placed a very short distance from the single
cavity, replaces the collector electrode.

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Working

The feedback necessary for electrical oscillations is

developed by reflecting the electron beam, the velocity
modulated electron beam does not actually reach the
repeller plate, but is repelled back by the negative voltage.
The point at which the electron beam is turned back can
be varied by adjusting the repeller voltage.
Thus the repeller voltage is so adjusted that complete
bunching of the electrons takes place at the catcher grids,
the distance between the repeller and the cavity is chosen
such that the repeller electron bunches will reach the
cavity at proper time to be in synchronization.
Due to this, they deliver energy to the cavity, the result is
the oscillation at the cavity producing RF frequency.
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The electron beam passes through a

single resonant cavity.
The electrons are fired into one end of
the tube by an electron gun.
After passing through the resonant cavity
they are reflected by a negatively
charged reflector electrode for another
pass through the cavity, where they are
then collected.
The electron beam is velocity modulated
when it first passes through the cavity.

The formation of electron bunches takes

place in the drift space between the reflector
and the cavity.
The voltage on the reflector must be adjusted
so that the bunching is at a maximum as the
electron beam re-enters the resonant cavity,
thus ensuring a maximum of energy is
transferred from the electron beam to the RF
oscillations in the cavity.
The voltage should always be switched on
before providing the input to the reflex
klystron as the whole function of the reflex
klystron would be destroyed if the supply is
provided after the input.

The reflector voltage may be varied

slightly from the optimum value, which
results in some loss of output power,
but also in a variation in frequency.
At regions far from the optimum
voltage, no oscillations are obtained at
all.
This tube is called a reflex klystron
because it repels the input supply or
performs the opposite function of a
klystron.

There are often several regions of

reflector voltage where the reflex
klystron will oscillate; these are
referred to as modes.
The frequency of oscillation is
dependent on the reflector voltage,
and varying this provides a crude
method of frequency modulating the
oscillation frequency, albeit with
accompanying amplitude modulation
as well.

Applegate diagram- reflex

klystron

Applications

The reflex klystrons are used in

1.

Radar receivers
Local oscillator in microwave receivers
Signal source in microwave generator of
variable frequency
Portable microwave links
Pump oscillator in parametric amplifier

2.
3.
4.
5.

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TRAVELING-WAVE TUBE
(TWT)
Uses a helix as a slow-wave structure
Microwaves input at cathode end of
helix, output at anode end
Energy is transferred from electron
beam to microwaves

Traveling Wave Tube

Traveling

Wave Tube (TWT) is the most versatile

microwave RF power amplifiers.
The

main virtue of the TWT is its extremely wide

band width of operation.

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Missile TWTs for Active Seekers

Features that influence the design include:

Minimal size and weight;

Narrow-to-moderate bandwidths;.

Off-to-fully-operational turn-on times of one second or less;

High efficiency;

High reliability after long inactive storage periods.

Normally, these TWTs are of the periodic-permanent-magnet (PPM)

focused helix variety. They normally utilize unique cathode-heater
designs to provide the very fast warm-up required. They typically have
multiple stage depressed collectors with conduction cooling.

Basic structure

The basic structure of a TWT consists of a cathode and

filament heater plus an anode that is biased positively to
accelerate the electron beam forward and to focus it into a
narrow beam.
The electrons are attracted by a positive plate called the
collector, which has given a high dc voltage.
The length of the tube is usually many wavelengths at the
operating frequency.
Surrounding the tube are either permanent magnets or
electromagnets that keep the electrons tightly focused into
a narrow beam.

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Basic structure of a
Traveling Wave Tube (TWT)

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The major elements include;

An electron beam to form and
accelerate a beam of electrons
A focusing magnet/magnetic system to
focus the beam of electrons through
the interaction structure
A collector to collect the electron beam
after the microwave power has been
generate

An input window where the small

microwave signal to be amplified is
introduced to the interaction structure
An helix as interaction structure, where
the electron beam interacts with the
microwave signal to be amplified
A microwave output window, where the
microwave power is taken out of the tube
An internal attenuator, to absorb the
power reflected back into the tube from
mismatches in the output transmission
line

TWT

Operation
The helix acts as a delay line, in which the RF signal
travels at near the same speed along the tube as the
electron beam.
The electromagnetic field due to the RF signal in the
helix interacts with the electron beam, causing bunching
of the electrons (an effect called velocity modulation),
and the electromagnetic field due to the beam current
then induces more current back into the helix (i.e. the
current builds up and thus is amplified as it passes
down).
A second directional coupler, positioned near the
collector, receives an amplified version of the input
signal from the far end of the helix.
An attenuator placed on the helix, usually between the
input and output helices, prevents reflected wave from
traveling back to the cathode.

Features

The unique feature of the TWT is a helix or coil that

surrounds the length of the tube and the electron beam
passes through the centre or axis of the helix.
The microwave signal to be amplified is applied to the
end of the helix near the cathode and the output is
taken from the end of the helix near the collector.
The purpose of the helix is to provide path for RF
signal.
The propagation of the RF signal along the helix is
made approximately equal to the velocity of the
electron beam from the cathode to the collector

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Functioning
The

passage of the microwave signal down the

helix produces electric and magnetic fields that
will interact with the electron beam.
The electromagnetic field produced by the helix
causes the electrons to be speeded up and
slowed down, this produces velocity modulation
of the beam which produces density modulation.
Density modulation causes bunches of electrons
to group together one wavelength apart and.
these bunch of electrons travel down the length
of the tube toward the collector.
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Functioning
The

electron bunches induce voltages into the

helix which reinforce the voltage already present
there. Due to that the strength of the
electromagnetic field on the helix increases as the
wave travels down the tube towards the collector.
At the end of the helix, the signal is considerably
amplified. Coaxial cable or waveguide structures
are used to extract the energy from the helix.

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Advantages
1.

2.

3.

TWT has extremely wide bandwidth. Hence, it

can be made to amplify signals from UHF to
hundreds of gigahertz.
Most of the TWTs have a frequency range of
approximately 2:1 in the desired segment of the
microwave region to be amplified.
The TWTs can be used in both continuous and
pulsed modes of operation with power levels up
to several thousands watts.
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Performance characteristics
1.
2.

3.

Frequency of operation : 0.5 GHz 95 GHz

Power outputs:
5 mW (10 40 GHz low power TWT)
250 kW (CW) at 3 GHz (high power TWT)
10 MW (pulsed) at 3 GHz
Efficiency : 5 20 % ( 30 % with depressed
collector)

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Applications of TWT
1.
2.
3.

4.

5.

Low noise RF amplifier in broad band microwave

receivers.
Repeater amplifier in wide band communication links
and long distance telephony.
Due to long tube life (50,000 hours against th for
other types), TWT is power output tube in
communication satellite.
Continuous wave high power TWTs are used in
troposcatter links (due to larger power and larger
bandwidths).
Used in Air borne and ship borne pulsed high power
radars.
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Major applications for TWTs include:

Amplifiers:

Space applications
Radar
Electron Counter Measure
Missile

Driver for other high power RF amplifiers