Apparatus and method for producing electromagnetic oscillations

A device for providing electromagnetic oscillations at a sub-millimeter wavelength comprising:

• a first and a second electron beam generator for generating a first and a second electron beam, each of said electron beam generators comprising a source of electrons, a collector of electrons, and means for accelerating electrons emitted from said source in the direction of said collector;
• an oscillator comprising a first slow wave circuit disposed intermediate said source and said collector of said first electron beam generator, said first electron beam passing in sufficient proximity to said first slow wave circuit to induce electromagnetic oscillations in said first slow wave circuit and to interact with said induced oscillations for providing electromagnetic oscillations;
• an amplifier comprising a second slow wave circuit positioned to receive the electromagnetic oscillations from said first slow wave circuit, said second electron beam passing in sufficient proximity to said second slow wave circuit to amplify said electromagnetic oscillations;
• and
• a single vacuum envelope containing said electron beam generators, said first slow wave circuit, and said second slow wave circuit.

A device for providing electromagnetic oscillations comprising:

• one or more electron beam generators for providing a first and a second electron beam;
• an oscillator comprising a slow wave circuit having a structure of an electrically non-conducting material with metallized surfaces adjacent said first electron beam;
• and
• an amplifier comprising a second slow wave circuit having a structure of an electrically non-conducting material with metallized surfaces adjacent said second electron beam,
• wherein said first and second slow wave circuits are fabricated on a single substrate using a chemical vapor deposition process.

A device for providing electromagnetic oscillations comprising:

• one or more electron beam generators for providing a first and a second electron beam;
• one or more magnetic field generators for focusing said first and second electron beams;
• a first slow wave circuit for guiding electromagnetic oscillations having a first periodic structure of electrically non-conducting material with metallized surfaces adjacent said first electron beam;
• and
• a second slow wave circuit for guiding said electromagnetic oscillations having a second periodic structure of electrically non-conducting material with metallized surfaces adjacent said second electron beam,
• wherein the phase shift of said electromagnetic oscillations per period propagating in said second periodic structure is different than the phase shift of said electromagnetic oscillations per period propagating in said first periodic structure.

A device for providing electromagnetic oscillations comprising:

• a first and a second electron beam generator for providing a first and a second electron beam, each electron beam generator comprising a source of electrons, a collector of electrons, and means for accelerating electrons emitted from said source in the direction of said collector;
• a first slow wave circuit disposed intermediate said source and said collector of said first electron beam generator, said first electron beam passing in sufficient proximity to said first slow wave circuit to induce electromagnetic oscillations in said first slow wave circuit and to interact with said induced oscillations for providing electromagnetic oscillations, said first slow wave circuit being defined in two planes and said first electron beam passing between said planes;
• and
• a second slow wave circuit positioned to receive said electromagnetic oscillations from said first slow wave circuit, said second electron beam passing in sufficient proximity to said second slow wave circuit to amplify said electromagnetic oscillations propagating in said second slow wave circuit.

A device for providing electromagnetic oscillations comprising:

• a first and a second electron beam generator for providing a first and a second electron beam, each of said electron beam generators comprising a source of electrons, a collector of electrons, and means for accelerating electrons emitted from said source in the direction of said collector;
• a first slow wave circuit disposed intermediate said source and said collector of said first electron beam generator, said first electron beam passing in sufficient proximity to said first slow wave circuit to induce electromagnetic oscillations in said first slow wave circuit and to interact with said induced oscillations for providing electromagnetic oscillations;
• and
• a second slow wave circuit positioned intermediate said source and said collector of said second electron beam generator and to receive said electromagnetic oscillations from said first slow wave circuit, said second electron beam passing in sufficient proximity to said second slow wave circuit to amplify said electromagnetic oscillations in said second slow wave circuit,
• wherein said first electron beam interacts with the full propagation strength of the electromagnetic oscillations propagating in said first slow wave circuit.

A device forming a pair of side-by-side slow wave circuits, said device comprising:

• a first substantially planar plate containing a pair of side-by-side periodic structures of electrically non-conducting material, each of said structures comprising an elongated ridge having a plurality of spaced digits extending substantially perpendicular therefrom with selected surfaces of said ridges and digits being metallized;
• and
• a second substantially planar plate containing a pair of side-by-side periodic structures of electrically non-conducting material, each of said structures comprising an elongated ridge having a plurality of spaced digits extending substantially perpendicular therefrom with selected surfaces of said ridges and digits being metallized,
• said second plate being spaced from and substantially parallel to said first plate so that each periodic structure on said second plate opposes a periodic structure on said first plate forming a pair of biplanar, interdigital slow wave circuits.

A device forming a pair of side-by-side slow wave circuits, said device comprising:

• a first substantially planar plate containing a pair of side-by-side periodic structures of electrically non-conducting material, a first of said structures comprising an elongated ridge having a plurality of spaced digits extending substantially perpendicular therefrom with selected surfaces of said ridges and digits being metallized, a second of said structures comprising a pair of laterally spaced substantially parallel elongated ridges having a plurality of spaced vanes extending substantially perpendicular therebetween;
• and
• a second substantially planar plate containing a pair of side-by-side structures of electrically non-conducting material, a first of said structures being a periodic structure comprising an elongated ridge having a plurality of spaced digits extending substantially perpendicular therefrom with selected surfaces of said ridges and digits being metallized, a second of said structures comprising a substantially planar surface,
• said second plate being positioned spaced from and substantially parallel to said first plate so that said periodic structure on said second plate opposes said first periodic structure on said first plate forming a biplanar, interdigital slow wave circuit, and said substantially planar surface on said second plate opposes said second periodic structure forming a single ladder slow wave circuit.

A device for providing electromagnetic oscillations having a sub-millimeter wavelength, said device comprising:

• a vacuum envelope;
• a pair of electron beam generators contained in said vacuum envelope, each of said electron beam generators comprising a source of electrons, a collector of electrons, and means for accelerating electrons emitted from said source in the direction of said collector for generating a pair of substantially parallel electron beams at substantially the same voltage;
• one or more magnetic field generators for focusing said electron beams;
• a pair of side-by-side slow wave circuits, each slow wave circuit comprising a periodic structure of diamond having selected surfaces overlaid with gold, each of said slow wave circuits being positioned between the source and collector of a respective electron beam generator so that the gold overlaid surfaces are adjacent the respective electron beam, the periodic structure of each slow wave circuit being selected so that one slow wave circuit operates as a backward wave oscillator which feeds the electromagnetic oscillations induced therein into the other slow wave circuit which operates as an amplifier.