Active radio frequency cavity amplifier

An active radio frequency cavity amplifier comprising:

• a housing defining an input cavity, an output cavity and at least one gap for each of the input and output cavities;
• a plurality of transistors mounted to said housing, each of said plurality of transistors having a respective input lead and a respective output lead;
• a first RF power coupling mechanism disposed within the housing in proximity to the input cavity for coupling RF power from a source into the input cavity to generate an RF field;
• a first conducting assembly having a plurality of conductors, each conductor configured to contact a respective input lead of the plurality of transistors for coupling the RF field in the input cavity to the respective input leads of the plurality of transistors via the at least one gap of the input cavity;
• a second conducting assembly having a plurality of conductors, each conductor configured to contact a respective output lead of the plurality of transistors for inducing an RF field in the output cavity from said plurality of transistors via the at least one gap of the output cavity;
• and
• a second RF power coupling mechanism disposed within the housing in proximity to the output cavity for coupling amplified RF power from the amplified RF field in the output cavity to a load, wherein said housing is cylindrically-shaped, wherein the at least one gap for the input cavity is an annular cavity encircling said input cavity and the at least one gap for the output cavity is an annular cavity encircling said output cavity, and wherein said annular cavities are configured to act as RF chokes to prevent the amplified RF power from being short-circuited.

A method for amplifying RF power comprising the steps of:

• coupling RF power to an active radio frequency cavity amplifier comprising a housing defining an input cavity, an output cavity and at least one gap for the input and output cavities and a plurality of transistors mounted in proximity to said input and output cavities and each of said plurality of transistors having and a respective input lead and a respective output lead;
• tuning the resonant frequency of the input cavity and the resonant frequency of the output cavity;
• coupling the RF field in the input cavity to the respective input leads of the plurality of transistors via the at least one gap of the input cavity;
• inducing an amplified RF field in the output cavity from the respective output leads of the plurality of transistors via the at least one gap of the output cavity;
• and
• coupling amplified RF power from the amplified RF field in the output cavity out of said active radio frequency cavity amplifier.

An RF power amplifier comprising:

• means for coupling RF power to an active radio frequency cavity amplifier comprising a housing defining an input cavity, an output cavity and at least one gap for the input and output cavities;
• means for coupling an RF field within the input cavity, wherein a plurality of transistors are mounted in proximity to said input and output cavities and each of said plurality of transistors having a respective input lead and a respective output lead;
• and
• means for coupling the RF field in the input cavity to the respective input leads of the plurality of transistors via the at least one gap of the input cavity;
• means for tuning the resonant frequency of the input cavity and the resonant frequency of the output cavity;
• and
• means, coupled to the output leads of the plurality of transistors, for inducing an amplified RF field in the output cavity, via the at least one gap of the output cavity.

An RF power amplifier comprising:

• means for coupling RF power to an active radio frequency cavity amplifier comprising a housing defining an input cavity, an output cavity, and at least one gap for the input and output cavities;
• means for coupling an RF field within the input cavity, wherein a plurality of transistors are mounted in proximity to said at least one gap for the input and output cavities and each of said plurality of transistors having a respective input lead and a respective output lead;
• and
• means for tuning the resonant frequency of the input cavity and the resonant frequency of the output cavity.