Coaxial extraction of RF power from a traveling wave amplifier

Summary form only given. We present new results from a high-power relativistic traveling wave tube amplifier experiment in which the RF power is extracted in a coaxial output section. The amplifier consists of two slow-wave structures separated by a resistive sever. The first stage imparts a small modulation to the beam. The second stage consists of an iris-loaded circular waveguide which is tapered from both ends by an adiabatic increase in the iris aperture with each successive period. The periodic length and the external cavity radius are kept constant. This provides a low-reflection transition from the slow-wave structure to the empty circular waveguide. A coaxial inner conductor is inserted into the output tapered section of the slow-wave structure and the position and radius chosen to minimize reflections and maximize extracted RF power. It is shown both experimentally and through MAGIC simulations that a fairly low reflection circular TM/sub 01/ to coaxial TEM mode transition can be made this way. Any small reflections from the output end travel backwards and are absorbed in the sever. In contrast to the traditional transverse extraction of power into a rectangular waveguide, the coaxial extraction is fairly broadband and exhibits much lower sensitivity to dimensions. The beam is dumped through an aperture in the inner conductor. Presently, the power is extracted into the coaxial waveguide and absorbed into a tapered resistive load. This will be later converted to the TE/sub 10/ mode of a rectangular waveguide.