Electron beam antenna microwave generation device
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
InventorJames P. O'Loughlin
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Abstract
A high energy level arrangement for generating microwave frequency electromagnetic energy from a DC power source by way of a high energy level electron beam coupled into an output waveguide member and serving therein as an antenna source of energy for the waveguide member. The electron beam is preferably spatially and timewise modulated with sinusoids to improve conversion efficiency to dominant mode waveguide energy. The disclosure includes several embodiments including a waveform splicing arrangement and plural electron gun embodiments and discloses quantitative efficiency and operating voltage level data. Use of the invention in weaponry, radar, deep space communication and other high radio frequency level energy applications is also disclosed.
Claims20
Microwave energy generation apparatus comprising:
- means for generating a high energy level sheet electron beam of predetermined lateral density profile;
- means for timewise additionally varying the electron density of said laterally profiled sheet electron beam in response to a time-dependent pulse modulation signal;
- microwave waveguide means including a reflection node short circuit portion and input port means disposed in predetermined separation therefrom for receiving said profiled and pulse modulated sheet electron beam thereinto;
- said waveguide means emitting sheet electron beam sourced microwave radio frequency energy having waveform components received directly from said input port means and also via said reflection node short circuit portion, from said input port means.
The method for generating coherent microwave energy comprising the steps of:
- forming a laterally dispersed high energy level sheet electron beam of predetermined electron density profile along the lateral dispersion;
- modulating said sheet electron beam with a timedependent pulse modulation function of predetermined envelope shape;
- converting the energy of said pulse modulated laterally profiled sheet electron bean into waveguide resident TE.sub.01 mode first pulses of electromagnetic energy;
- filling the time intervals between pulses of said TE.sub.01 mode electromagnetic energy within said waveguide with polarity opposed pulses of TE.sub.01 mode energy that are waveform correlated with said first pulses to compose a sinusoid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.