A Note on Filter-Type Traveling-Wave Amplifiers

A small-signal analysis of systems in which an electron beam interacts with a circuit composed of discrete filter elements is given here. The effects of a line beam interacting with a series of gaps, which are capacitive elements of a filter structure, are calculated, and it is shown that an admittance can be introduced which arises from the presence of the electrons. This admittance is in parallel with the gap capacitance, and thus will alter the propagation factor of the filter circuit. It is shown that traveling-wave solutions exist for the combination of electron beam and filter circuit, and that there is a solution which has a positive real part, indicating that gain will be exhibited.