Optical tuning of magnetron using leaky light structure

A magnetron having a tunable microwave frequency range of operation, comprising:

• an anode block having an interior space defined therein;
• a plurality of resonant cavities defined within the anode block;
• apparatus for optically tuning a magnetron operating frequency within said range of operation, the apparatus comprising:
• a plurality of probes, wherein respective ones of said probes extends into corresponding ones of said resonant cavities, each of said probes comprising a respective leaky dielectric light guide to which a corresponding photoconductive coating has been applied;
• a light source system for directing light into the respective probes;
• and
• apparatus for modulating the intensity of the light directed into the respective probes,
• wherein light propagating through the respective dielectric light guide leaks into the corresponding photoconductive coating, and is absorbed by the corresponding coating through creation of electron-hole pairs, causing the corresponding coating to reflect incident microwave radiation, the degree of reflection dependent on the incident light intensity, wherein the resonant frequency of the resonant cavity and the frequency of operation of the magnetron is tunable by modulating the intensity of the light directed into the respective probe and thereby changing in reflectivity of the corresponding coating.

A magnetron having a tunable microwave frequency range of operation, comprising:

• an anode block having an interior space defmed therein;
• a cathode disposed within said interior space of said anode block;
• a plurality of resonant cavities defmed within the anode block and arranged about said cathode;
• apparatus for optically tuning a magnetron operating frequency within said range of operation, the apparatus comprising:
• a plurality of probes, wherein respective ones of said probes extends into corresponding ones of said resonant cavities, each of said probes comprising a respective leaky dielectric light guide to which a corresponding photoconductive coating has been applied;
• a light source system for directing light into the respective probes;
• and
• apparatus for modulating the intensity of the light directed into the respective probes,
• wherein light propagating through the respective dielectric light guide leaks into the corresponding photoconductive coating, and is absorbed by the corresponding coating through creation of electron-hole pairs, causing the corresponding coating to reflect incident microwave radiation, the degree of reflection dependent on the incident light intensity, wherein the resonant frequency of the resonant cavity and the frequency of operation of the magnetron is tunable by modulating the intensity of the light directed into the respective probe and thereby changing in reflectivity of the corresponding coating.