Reflex Klystron

By
Dr. Sudhansu Kumar Pati

 Velocity Modulation
 Electronic Admittance
 Output Power and Frequency
Reflex Klystron by Dr. Sudhansu Kumar Pati 1
 Klystrons
There are two basic configurations of Klystron tubes, One is called reflex
klystron, used as a low-power microwave oscillator, and another is called
multicavity klystron, used as a low power microwave amplifier.
Reflex Klystron d = Cavity gap
L = length of repeller from cavity.
V0 = Anode voltage/ DC Voltage
Vs = RF Voltage
Vr = repeller voltage

t0 time for electron entering cavity

gap at z = 0

t1 time for same electron leaving

cavity gap at z = d

t2 time for same electron returned by

Schematic diagram retarding field z = d and collected on
of reflex klystron walls of cavity

Reflex Klystron by Dr. Sudhansu Kumar Pati 2

Reflex Klystron (It is a low-power generator of 10 to 500-mW output at a
frequency range of 1 to 25 GHz. The efficiency is about 20 to 30% )

• It consists of a single re-entrant microwave cavity as resonator.

• The electron beam emitted from the cathode, is accelerated by
the grid and passes through the anode cavity to the repeller
space.
• The feed back (+ve) required to maintain oscillations with in
the cavity is obtained by reversing direction of electron beam
through the repeller and back to cavity.
• The electrons in the beam are velocity modulated before the
beam passes through the cavity second time and will give up
energy to the cavity to maintain oscillations.
• This is called reflex klystron because of reflex action of
electron beam.

Reflex Klystron by Dr. Sudhansu Kumar Pati 3

 Mechanism of Oscillation

Due to dc voltage in the cavity circuit, RF noise is generated in the cavity.

This Electromagnetic noise field in the cavity becomes pronounced at
cavity resonant Frequency.

Reflex Klystron by Dr. Sudhansu Kumar Pati 4

Mechanism of Oscillation contd..
Applegate diagram with gap voltage for a reflex klystron.
• The electron ‘A’ encountered
the positive half cycle of RF
field in the cavity gap d will be
accelerated.
• Those (reference electrons) ‘B’
encountered zero RF field will
pass with unchanged original
velocity.
• The electron ‘C’ encountered
the negative half cycle will be
retarded on entering the repeller
space.
• All these velocity- modulated electrons will be repelled back to the cavity by
the repeller due to its negative potential
• The repeller distance L and the voltages can be adjusted to receive all the
voltage modulated electrons at a same time on the positive peak of the cavity
RF velocity cycle.
Reflex Klystron by Dr. Sudhansu Kumar Pati 5
Mechanism of Oscillation contd..

• The velocity modulated electrons are bunched together and loose their K.E.
when they encounter the positive cycle of the cavity RF field.
• Power delivered by the bunched electrons to the cavity > power loss in the
cavity system—Produce microwave oscillations.
• Power delivered by the bunched electrons to the cavity = Total power loss in the
cavity system—A steady microwave oscillation is generated at resonant
frequency of the cavity.

Reflex Klystron by Dr. Sudhansu Kumar Pati 6

Mode of oscillation
The bunched electrons in reflex klystron can deliver maximum
power to the cavity at any instant which correspond to the
positive peak of the RF cycle of the cavity oscillation
Let T = Time period at resonant
frequency.
to = The time taken by the reference
electron to travel in the repeller space
between the entering the repeller
space ’b’ and returning to the cavity at
positive peak voltage on formation of
bunch.
 3
to   n   T  NT
 4

Where, n = 0, 1, 2, 3…………….

Reflex Klystron by Dr. Sudhansu Kumar Pati 7

 Power Output and Efficiency

Assumption made for calculation of RF power

1. Cavity grids and repeller are plane parallel and very large in
extent.
2. No RF field is excited in repeller space.
3. Electrons are not intercepted by the cavity anode grid.
4. No debunching takes place in repeller space.
5. The cavity RF gap voltage amplitude V1 is small compared to
the dc beam voltage Vo: V1<< Vo

Reflex Klystron by Dr. Sudhansu Kumar Pati 8

Velocity modulation
The electron velocity ‘u’ attained due
to the dc beam voltage ‘Vo’ while
entering the cavity gap at t = 0 is
uniform. 1
mu 2  eV 0 o
2
2eVo
 u  u0 (at t  0)   5.93  105 Vo
m
The instantaneous cavity RF voltage
V (t )  V1 sin t where V1  Vo
The average transit time through the cavity gap
‘d’ and the transit angle
d
tg  ,  g   tg
u0
The average microwave voltage in the cavity gap
1
t
g

Va v   V1 sin t dt 
V1 1  cos t g  V1 sin 2  g 2

 
 V11 sin  
g
2
tg 0 
t g g
2
1  0 for d  0.
Where 1 
sin    Beam coupling
g
2
coefficient of the cavity gap.
g
2

Reflex Klystron by Dr. Sudhansu Kumar Pati 9

Velocity modulation Contd..
The exit velocity from the cavity gap after velocity modulation

u (t g ) 
2e Vo  Vav 

2e Vo  V11 sin
   
g
2 2eVo  V11
1  sin  
g
2


m m m  Vo 
V11
where  depth of modulation
Vo

If modulation amplitude <<1 then,

 V11
2eVo 
u (t g ) 
m
1 
V
sin g
 
2 
 o 
 V 
 
 u0 1  1 1 sin  g 2 
 2Vo 

 V11 
 u0 1
2V
g
sin tg  2  
 o 

Reflex Klystron by Dr. Sudhansu Kumar Pati 10

Transit time (tr)
The round trip of electron beam from
cavity to repeller space and back to
cavity is called transit time of reflex
klystron. velocity u (t g )
tr  2  2
acceleration a
The electron acceleration is given by
eE e Vo  VR  V1 sin t e Vo  VR
a  
m m L m L
 V   V 
u (t )  
u0 1  1 1 sin t g   g 2  2u0 mL 1  1 1 sin t g   g 2 
2Vo
 
tr  2 g  2     2Vo 
a e Vo  VR e Vo  VR 
m L
 V  The reference electron does not undergo any
 
 t0 1  1 1 sin t g   g 2  velocity modulation, its transit time in repeller
 2Vo 
space u 2u0 mL 2 N
t0  2 0   NT 
a e Vo  VR  

Reflex Klystron by Dr. Sudhansu Kumar Pati 11

Density Modulation and Beam Current
The time of arrival of an electron to the cavity gap
 V  2 N  V11 
tb  t g  t r  
 t g  t0 1  1 1 sin t g   g 2   t g  1  sin t  g

  2Vo g 2 
 2Vo  
2 N 1  NV11 2 N X
 tg 


 Vo
 
sin t g   g 2  t g 

 sin t g   g 2 

2 N
tb  t g  Since V1 << Vo , X << 1

dt
 b  1  X cos t g   g 2 
dt g
 NV11
Where  X  Bunching parameter of the reflex klystron.
Vo
 The quantity of charge leaving the cavity gap in the time interval tg to tg + dtg
is Iodtg, where Io is the beam DC current.
 After drifting, enters the repeller space in the interval tb to tb+ dtb constitute a
charge of Ibdtb.
 The bunched electrons on return constitute the bunched beam current
Ib, such that the conservation of charge gives I 0 dt g  I b dtb

Reflex Klystron by Dr. Sudhansu Kumar Pati 12

Density Modulation and Beam Current Contd..
Bunched beam current Ib
I0 I0
I 0 dt g  Ib dtb  Ib  
dtb dt g 1  X cos t g   g 2  
 
To calculate Ib, one must then sum the absolute values of all current
contributions to Ib from time segments t1, t2, etc, at the buncher as follows,
 1 1 
Ib  I 0    ....
 1  X cos t1 1  X cos t2 
Now, since It is clearly a periodic
function of ωt, it can be expanded in a
Fourier series, as follows,

I b  I o   [ an cos n(t2   g )  bn sin n(t 2   g )]
1

The coefficients are given by

 0   0 
an  1/   I t cos n(t2   0 )d (t2 ) bn  1/   I sin n(t
t 2   0 )d (t2 )
 
0  
0

Reflex Klystron by Dr. Sudhansu Kumar Pati 13

Density Modulation and Beam Current Contd..
Bunched beam current Ib,
I0 I0 1
I 0 dt g  I b dtb  I b    I 0 1  X cos t g   g 2  
dtb dt g 1  X cos t g   g 2  
 
1
I b  I 0 1  X cos tb  2 N   g 2    2 N 
 t
 b g t 
  
By Fourier expansion, the beam current of a reflex klystron
oscillator is 
I b  I 0  2 I 0  J n ( nX ) cos n tb  2 N   g 2 
n 1

 I b  I 0  2 I 0 J1 ( X ) cos   tb  to  t g 2   2 I 0  J n (nX ) cosn   tb  to  t g 2 
n 2

The fundamental component of the RF induced current in the

cavity
I RF  1 2 I 0 J1 ( X ) cos   tb  to  t g 2 

 2 I 0 1 J1 ( X ) cos tb  2 N   t g 2  2 N , is neglected 

Reflex Klystron by Dr. Sudhansu Kumar Pati 14

Power Output
The Magnitude of fundamental component of the RF induced
current in the cavity I RF  2 I 0 1 J1 ( X )
The rms RF power delivered to the cavity is
 NV11
V1 I RF  X  Bunching parameter
PRF   V1 I 0 1 J1 ( X ) Vo
2 V X
 1 
Vo I 0 XJ1 ( X ) Vo  N 1

N
Vo I 0 XJ1 ( X ) Vo  VR 
  e 2mVo
2 fLN
u0 2u0 mL 2 N 2eVo
t0  2   NT  and u0 
a e Vo  VR   m

2eVo
2 mL
2 N m 2mVo e   L
  N 
 e Vo  VR  Vo  VR 
Reflex Klystron by Dr. Sudhansu Kumar Pati 15
Efficiency
The DC Power supplied by the beam voltage Vo Pdc  Vo I o
The electronic efficiency of a reflex Klystron oscillator
PRF Vo I 0 XJ1 ( X )  N XJ1 ( X )
  
Pdc Vo I 0 N
XJ1 ( X ) attains a maximum value of 1.252 at X=2.408
Vo I o 0.3986
PRF  0.3986 and 
N N
It has been observed that it is not possible to get ¾ mode in
reflex klystron, so that N=1 ¾ mode leads maximum RF power
output and efficiency.
PRF  0.227 Vo I o  3
N  n 
 4
  22.7%

Reflex Klystron by Dr. Sudhansu Kumar Pati 16

Mode Curve
The output power and frequency can be electronically controlled by
varying the repeller voltage.
0.3986  Vo I o Vo  VR 
PRF   e 2mVo
2 fLN
2u0 mL 2 N 2eVo
t0   NT  and u0 
e Vo  VR   m
2eVo
2 u0 mL 2 N mL
  m N
 
e Vo  VR   e Vo  VR  

Vo  2N 2  e 
2
  
Vo  VR  2 2 L2  m 

1 N Vo  VR  e The variation of output power and frequency

f  verses repeller voltage (mode curve
2 2 L Vo m
dVR 2 2 L Vo m

df N e
2 2 L f Vo m
VR   Vo
N e

Reflex Klystron by Dr. Sudhansu Kumar Pati 17

Electronic Admittance
The electronic admittance Ye of the reflex klystron is defined as the ratio
of induced bunch beam current Ib and cavity gap voltage at the time of
bunching. I RF (tb ) 2 I 0 1 J1 ( X ) cos tb   t0 
Ye  
V (tb ) V1 sin tb
2 I 0 1 J1 ( X ) e j  tb t0  2 I 0 1 J1 ( X ) j  2  t0 
 j  tb  2 
 e
V1 e V1
XVo
substituting V1  and 2 N  to
 N 1
2
 NI 0  1  J1 ( X ) j  2  t 0 
Ye  e  Ge  jBe
Vo X Equivalent circuit of reflex Klystron
 The electronic admittance is a function of the dc beam admittance, the dc
transit angle, and the signal voltage V1.
 It is evident that the electronic admittance is nonlinear, since it is
proportional to the factor 2J1(X ) / X , and X is proportional to the signal
voltage.
Reflex Klystron by Dr. Sudhansu Kumar Pati 18
Electronic Admittance contd…
The necessary condition for oscillations is that the magnitude of
the negative real part of the electronic admittance not be less than
the total conductance of the cavity circuit. That is
1 Where Rsh= effective shunt resistance
Ge  GC  GL 
Rsh

Variation of Ge and Be in complex Ye plane

• |VR|= ∞ is the origin.
• A decrease in |VR| moves outwards along
the spiral and increase in ‘n’
• If Ye = ±jBe, oscillations take place at a
frequency lower or higher than the cavity
resonance frequency.
• Left half of spiral –(GC+GL) is the
oscillation region.

Reflex Klystron by Dr. Sudhansu Kumar Pati 19

Electronic Admittance of Reflex klystron

Reflex Klystron by Dr. Sudhansu Kumar Pati 20

Performance Characteristics
1. Frequency: 4 – 200 GHz
2. Power: 1 mW – 2.5 W
3. Theoretical efficiency : 22.78 %
4. Practical efficiency : 10 % - 20 %
5. Tuning range : 5 GHz at 2 W – 30 GHz at 10 mW
Applications
The reflex klystrons are used in
1. Radar receivers
2. Local oscillator in microwave receivers
3. Signal source in microwave generator of variable frequency
4. Portable microwave links
5. Pump oscillator in parametric amplifier

Reflex Klystron by Dr. Sudhansu Kumar Pati 21

Reflex Klystron by Dr. Sudhansu Kumar Pati 22
Reflex Klystron by Dr. Sudhansu Kumar Pati 23