44 IRE TRANBACTIONS ON ELECTRON DEVICES January

Stability of a Cylindrical Ellectron Beam in Nonsinusoidal

Periodic Magnetic-Focusing Fields*
D A N E L C. BUCK?

Summary-The Theory of Mendel, Quate, andYocum is extended

to includeexperimentaland analyticalexamination of magnetic
fields whose axial variation is periodic, but not sinusoidal. Magnetic
fields of this type are encountered inmany typical periodic focusing
structures. Minimum-ripple flow is achieved by settingtherms
value of the magnetic field equal to the Brillouin value of the :ield.
The fraction of a beamcurrenttraversing a long hollow drift AX1S
tube has been measured as a function of the amount of depa.:ture
of the magnetic field variation from a sinusoidal one.

INTRODVCTION
NE METHOD of decreasing the weight of an
electron beam focusing system for use in beam
type electron tubes is employ
to periodic magnetic
focusing. Inthisstructure, ringshapedmagnets, rnag-
netizedaxially, are arranged coaxially so that adjac’ent
magnetsexert oppositelydirectedmagnetic fields. {Such
a structure is shown in Fig. 1. It has been shown that due
to the periodicity of the structure there exist rangee of
a parameter S = T@L~/Y,, for which the beam can be
confined withinafinitevolumearound the axis 01 the
system. The quantities 7, 8, L , V,, and X are idenhified
in theList of Symbols.Theseranges of S are called
pass bands or stable regions and arise from the nature of
the solutions of equations of the Mathieu-Hill type.
The extent of these bands is determined by the con-
figuration of the axial magnetic field, which, in t u ~ n is ,
determined by the configuration of the magnets and their
flux guides, or pole pieces. I n mostbeamtypetube
designs, V , and the beam current density which in turn
determines 8,are determined from other consideralions.
This leaves L to bedeterminedinterms of allowable
values of S to satisfy the conditions for operation in a
pass band. I n many cases, the required values of f i 2 / V o
are so large that for S to remain in the first pass band,
L must be made very small. This in turn makes it difliault,
and sometimes impossible, to produce the required peak
magnetic field strength 8; that is,often one crtnnot
with knownmagneticmaterialsdevelop sufficient mag-
netic potential in a length L t o excite the required axial Fig. 1-(a) Schematic drawing of section of aperiodic magnet
field. structure. (b) Axial component of magnetic field a t inner edge of
pole pieces. This was used as the boundary condition for comput-
Here, we will not consider the problems of magnetic ing the axial field on the axis. (c), (d)., and (e) Axial component
circuit design in detail, butwill see how this limitation on of magnetic field on or nearthe axis for different pole piece
geometries.
L can be altered or relaxed by varying the configu-ation
or “shape” of the axialdistribution of axialmagnetic
field. Weshallalsodevelopsomerelationshipsbetween
the shape of the axial magnetic field, the beam current
density,and aconcept of optimumbeamtransmission.
* Manuscript received by the PGED, May, 1956. Some experiments involving a beam-type tube in periodic
t Westinghouse Electric Corp., Elmira, N. Y.Formerlywith
Sylvania
Electric
Products,
Inc., Bayside, N. Y. magnetic fields will be discussed interms of theabove work.
 1957 Stability
Buck: Cylindrical
Electron
Beam
of a 45
LIST OF SYMBOLS
Symbol Physical Variable Unit
B ( r , x ) Magnetic flux density webers/(meter)2
Peak axial magneticflux density webers/(meter)'
rms axial magnetic flux density webers/(meter)'
+ & sin (57rG/L)cos (lo.irr,L~].
Io(107rR/L) (2)
voltage Beam
Charge/mass of electronl(M) = In a majority of cases observed, R I L is large enough t o
1.77 x lo1' coulombs/K cause the third term of ( 2 ) to be negligible. If G/L = 1 / 3 ,
the second term vanishes, andwe have a field shape which
Period of periodic structure ( M )
is very nearly sinusoidal. If G/L > 1 / 3 , the field shape is
+
B(x) = B(x L ) meters
more rectangular than a cosine curve, and if G/L < 1 / 3 ,
Magnetic
spacing
meters
gap the field shape is narrower than a cosine 1curve. We here
Inner radius of magnet polepiece meters limit the investigation to fields which can bedescribed
meters
coordinate Radial closely by the first two terms of ( 2 ) .
Axial
meters
coordinate We define two new variables;anormalizedmagnetic
Modified Besselfunction of zero field parameter F ( T ) B 2 ( T ) / B 2 ( T ) , andthe field shape
order parameter A f (B/l?)'. The use of F ( T ) makes it possible
to set up a normalized paraxial equation for an electron
Radius of beam a t x = O ( M )
transversing the magnetic fields. The significance of A as a
= r/ro(M) measure of the magnetic field shape will become apparent
= 2nx/L(M) whenminimumrippleelectronbeam flow is discussed.
= volume chargedensity of Magnetic fields producedinthelaboratory fell inthe
beam(M) c~ulomb/(meters)~ range 0.3 < A < 0.8 and had shapes like those pictured
= Permittivity of free space in Fig. 1, ( e ) , (d), (e). A field describable by A = 0.5 is
= Magnetic field parameter
sinusoidal. For A > 0.5, the field becomes m'ore rectangular
( M ) = 1/647r2S and for A < 0.5, the field becomes thin and spiked.
= Space change parameter DETERMIN.4TION O F THE PASS BANDS
( M ) = pL2/16a2~V0
T o determine the stabilityof the beam in. these periodic
= Stability parameter =
magnetic fields, we shall use the same criterion chosen by
qB2L2/V0. Mendel,Quate,andYocum;ltheradial space-charge
forces on electrons in the beam have little influence on
THEP E R I O D I C M14GSETIC FIELDS the value of X which borders on the first siable region or
passbandandthefirstunstable region or stopband.
The axialmagnetic field of most periodic magnetic
Assuming the initial conditions of Brillouin focusing and
structurescan be quiteaccuratelyrepresentedbythe
zero axial forces on the electrons, we can usethe normalized
first two or three terms of a cosine Fourier series. Some
paraxial ray equation developed by Mendel, Quate, and
representative pole-piece geometriesandresultant field
Yocum' but replace their sinusoidal magnetic field with
shapesobtainedby solving the Laplaceequation, using
the more general one described by (2). It then reads, for
the pole pieces asequipotent'ialsandassuminguniform
an electron at the edge of the beam,
potential gradients in the axial direction in theregions,
gap
are shown in Fig. 1. The solution for the axial field can be u + 2a!F(T)u- Pu-' = 0. (3)
written
The task is nom to find the regions of a! forwhich the
solutions of (4) arestableforvarious F ( T ) . Instead of
B(O,x ) = B .Lsin (nnG'L) cos ( 2 n m / ~ )
describing F ( T ) byaFourier series, we shalluse the
nn I0(2nrR/L)
parameter A A (E/&.'
Finding stability criteria for (3) is very difficultbecause
of the --,%-I term. Eq. ( 3 ) canbe simplified byeither
If R / L takes on typical values, usually greater than 0.1,
dropping thespace charge term (low space charge approxi-
then ( 1 ) reducestojustthreeto five terms due to the
mation) or byassuming G 1 so that G-' NN 1 - ( ( T i
rapid increase of Io(2naR/L)with n. Now, if we add the
reasonablerequirementthatthe fields besymmetrical 1 (iM)denot'es terms used by J. T. Mendel, C. F. Quate, and
about the midplanes of the magnet gaps (arising from the W. H. Yocunf! "Electron beam-focusing with p,er.iodic permanent
uniformity of theinnerdiameters of successive pole magnet fields, F'poc. IRE, vol. 42, pp. 800-810; May, 1954.
2 L. A . Pipes, Matrix solution of equations of the Mathieu-Hill
pieces), the series has only odd terms type," J. A p p l . Phys., vol. 24, pp. 902-910; July, 1953.
 +I

(b)

-I

W
(b)
Fig. 2-(a) Approximation of F ( T ) witha series of rectangles.
(b) Matrix element @ vs T O ~ showing
~ Z pass and stop bands
for A < 1/2 and A > 1/2.

and W, is the Wronskian of the solutions in the fLnda-

mentalinterval or period T , aconstant of thesystem
uniquelydeterminedby F ( T ) . Then it is showrt for
symmetric F ( T ) with @ =, 3 that the condition for stable
a1 < 1. The determination of a
solutions to (4) is that l
is based on an approximation of F ( T ) by a series of rec-
tangular sections as shown in Fig. 2 . From the above, we
can write

where a:
W
I- -
ya o 0
a
$300- STABLE
m = number of rectangular sections making up a reriod
t.
of F ( T ) . - o EXPERIMENTAL
Finding the regions of stability of (4) is accomplished by e200
-I
plotting @ vs T~ d L as shown in Fig. 2(b), where h,,, z
a 7 6 L2/", ~ h
+CALCULATED
A ~
REF I ' ~ ~
is the magnitude of the highest rectangular section jn the 5 loo-
period of F ( T ) . Fig. 2 shows typical @ vs T~ d h m a xcurves /
for magnetic field shape paramet'ersA < 1/2 and A >> 1/2.
The extents of a in the first stable region and thl: first I I I I I

unstable region of (4) are shown in Fig. 3, plotted 'rs the 0.4
0.2 0.6 0.8 1.Q
magnetic field parameter A. The width of the first istable FIELD SHAPE PARAMETER A=(B/~)'-
reFinn decreases with increasing A . but not as fast asA-'. Fia. 3-Beam stabilityasafunction of field shape.
1957 Stability Buck: Beam of a Cylindrical
Electron 47
The decreaseroughly
is proportional to
The A-' Atoptimum flow, therms field equalsthe Brillouin
decrease would be expected if the individual half-periods field B , for a given beam. If A = 1/2, the field is sinu-
of the magnetic field B(0, x ) acted as thin lenses, as will soidal and (5) reduces t o 01 = p.4 From Fig. 3 it becomes
be shownbelow. The location of the edge of the first evident that as A approaches unity the maximum beam
stable regionwould be independent of A when a is ex- current that can be optimumly focused in the first region
pressed in termsof the rms magneticfield 2,if the magnets of stability increases about
as
optimum
and
acted as thin lenses. focusing allows a larger value of L for higher values of A
In the course of this work, it was found that the width
of the firstpassbandforagivenvalue of A was not
sensitive to small changes in the details of the shape of
the field. For instance, values for the upper limit of a in
the first passbandforsinusoidal fields ( A = 1/2) were EXPERIMENTS
calculated using a F ( T ) in the shape of a single rectangle The experimental points in Fig. 3 were obtained using a
of width 1/4L and unit height, and a F ( T ) in the shape beam test tube (essentially a traveling wave tube whose
of three rectangles whose resultant A = 1/2. The values helix isreplaced bya hollow cylindricaldrifttube),
of 01 were within a few per cent of that calculated from the operated in a succession of magnet structures which pro-
Mathieu equation.' ducedvarious field shapes.Transmissionthrough the
A second curve in Fig. (3) gives the edge of the first drift tube to the collector was measured as a function of
stable region in terms of E, obtained by multiplying the the beam voltage Po.
original curve by A . This curve gives the upper limitof a , Themagnetic fields wereproducedby,usingseveral
as a function of A , for which optimum or minimum-ripple sizes of Alnico V ring magnets and two shapes of4-79
flow can occur. That this is so arises from the following. MolybdenumPermalloy pole pieces. I n each periodic
We define optirnum flow as that flow whose ripple at the structure the peak magnetic fields were uniform to better
edge of the beam, averaged over a period of the magnet than =t5% and the periods were uniform .to about &5%.
structure, is a minimum for a given value of A. Starting The determination of the F ( T ) was accomplished using a
with (3), we let g ( T ) = 1 +
((7') where f ( T ) describing Hall effect-type fluxmeterwhoseaxial field probe mas
thebeamripplearoundtheequilibriumradius yo, is mounted on a carriage enabling one to measure B(0, x )
periodic3 and much less than unity. Then (3) reads a t 1/64-inch intervals.
+ +
i ( T ) 2aF(Tj[1 E(T)I - P[1 - f(Tj1 FS 0 (3a) The electron gun was a Pierce type whose gun perveance
was about 1 X lo-' mks units! and delivered a beam of
where cr-'(Tj NN [l - ( ( T ) ]when ((7') issmall.Since 2 kv potential. The half-angle of convergence was about
operation in the stable regionisbeing considered, E(T) 5", the position of minimumbeam cross-section was
isperiodicwithperiod T ; so me have ((7) = [ ( T + T). roughly at the point of the first magnetic field maximum.
Rewriting (3) replacing T by T + T , and subtracting the The drift tube with which beam interceptionwas measured
two equations yields [ F ( T ) - F ( T + +
7)][1 ( ( T ) ]= 0. was 7 inches long, as were the various magnet structures.
Therefore the period of ((7') at. opt'imum flow, ie., where
thebeamripple, t ( T ) isaminimum,isapproximately DISCUSSION
that of themagnetstructure.From(3a) follows upon
+
multiplication with 11 ( ( T ) ]dT Twotypicaltransmissionvs V , curvesare shown in
Fig. 4.I n each curve there are two voltageswhich charac-
terize the curve; the voltage below which transmission is
not observed, and the voltage above which the transmis-
+ 1
E
%'
2n

T=O
+
[l [(T)]'F(T)dT - 5[ 27

T=O
dT = 0
sion appears t o level off, or rise a t a noticeably lower rate.
The first voltage determines, with known E, B, and L,
which reduces to the value of 01 on the edge of the first pass band. The
second voltagewasthought to berelated to optimum
-
1 2a
2%'/T=O
d&(T) + j 2a

T=O
F ( T ) dT -5 JzT
T=O
dT = 0 flow. Fig. 3 indicates a decrease in the difference between
these critical voltages with an increase in A , while main-
taining B and L constant. I n Fig. 4 the transmission curves
when [ ( T )<< 1. The first term vanishes duet o the periodi- showclearlysuch an effect. However, we cannot claim
city of ( ( T ) ,leaving upon integration, thatthis secondcriticalvoltagerepresentsaccurately
2aA = p ( 5 ) thepointwhereoptimum flow ascharacterized by ( 5 )
sets in for two reasons.
which constitutes a condition for the chosen parameters First, the derivat'ion of the condition for optimum flow
a , p, A for achieving minimum-ripple flow.
includes the assumptions of laminar flow and the presence
of space-charge forces, whereas the determination of the
3 A. Marganau and G. Murphy, "The Mathematics of Physics
and Chemistry," D. Van Nostrand Co., Inc., New York,N. Y.,
p. 80; 1943. As shown in Mendel, Quate, and Yocum, loc. cit.
48 IRE TRANSACTIONS ON ELECTR0,V DEVICES January

V,,”,
--- hand
A = (B/B)’
8C VO,, flow

0.79 0.75
7c 0.25 0.40 I

I t is interesting to compare the behavior of the system

to that of “thin”magnetic lenses, where “thin” lenses
6C are taken tobe lenses whose axialextent issmall compared
t o the distance between adjacentlenses. I n such a system,
/I “OPT / electrons in a low current density beam travel in nearly
50
z straight lines between lenses, and experiencechanges in
0 direction at the lenses of magnitude C times the radial
g40 coordinate of the electron at the lens, where C is the con-
L vergence or reciprocal focal length of the lens. For a
cn periodic system of thin convergent lenses with separation
z L / 2 it has beenshown thatthe condition for st’able
$30
transmission is given by C L < 8. For thin lenses6
t-
r20
a
Cw
8 Vo
L/2
B*((x)dx = - 11-
4V,L B2 = 4_V”L
_
B2A ’
W
m and the edge of the stable region is given by &2L2V,’ =
$1 0 (const)A-’ or gBzL2Vi1= const.Thus, if the structure
behaves as a system of thin lenses, from ( 5 ) we see that
the maximum currentthat can be focusedunder conditions
of optimum flow is independent of the field shape charac-
-2 .4 .6 .8 1.0 1.2 terizedby A. However, the stability region of the Hill
\ equation and the experimental datayield relations closely
Fig. 4-Beam transmission in two magnet structures. representedby T ~ ~ L ~ V=O(’c o n ~ t ) A ’ or
. ~ ~7l?L2Vo1 =
(const)Thus,
the effect of the
thick lenses is to
regions of stability assume that the electron trajectofks, enablethesystem to focusahighercurrentunder the
for values of X in or near the unstable regions, are n o t conditions of optimum flow for higher -A field shapes.
affected by the presenceof other electrons; the trajectcries
can cross each other, and the axis. Since the experimeltal CONCLUSION
and calculated points in Fig. 3 agree well, there must be It appears that for low-perveance ( m 0.1 micropervs)
many electrons whose trajectories are more like the sdu- beamstheHillequation,derivedby neglecting radial
tions of the Mathieu-Hill (4)5than like those of ( 3 ) , when space-charge forces fromtheparaxialrayequation, is
X is in or near the unstable regions. Since the laminarity sufficient to determine the location of the first region of
of the beam is largely determined by the beamat entrance stability of thebeamtransmissionformagnetic field
into t.he magnetic field, and the beam has been shown to shapesreadilyencounteredinpractice. It wasfound
be largely nonlaminarforvalues of X in or nearthe analytically that the location of the stability regions was
unstable regions, it appearsquestionable to assumea insensitive to fine structure of the field shape, but it was
laminar beam for other values of X. sensitive to the rms value of the field. For focusing maxi-
Second, the beam equilibrium radius, ro was not accu- mumcurrentinapractical device, assuming the beam
rately known and was not equal t o the drift tube inner must be approximately in optimum flow, one should make
radius, making it possible for the beam t o appear to be in the rms-to-peak field ratio as near unity as possible, the
optimum flow a t a voltage lower than the one a t which field of the uniformsolenoid being the limit of this process.
optimum flow actually occurs.
However, for the two curves shown, the second critical APPENDIX
voltages are about what would be expected for optimum It has been suggested7 that one can eliminate the first
flow. For a given magnetic structure, the voltage at the region of instability by removing from theB2(z)curve the
edge of the pass band and the voltage at the point of first harmonic term. Then F ( T ) could be expressed as
optimum flow will berelatedby Vsb/Voptf l o w = A.
From Fig. 4 we can tabulate as follows F ( T ) = a, +
arLcos nT.
2
(7)
5 For examples of Mathieu-Hill functions, see P. R. E. Ja.mke
and F. Emde,“Tables of Functions,” Dover Publications, Inc., J. R. Pierce, “Theory and Design of Electron Beams,” D. Van
New York, N. Y., pp. 283-295; 1945. See also A. M. Clogston and Nostrand Co., Inc., New York, N. Y., 2nd ed., p. 83; 1954.
H. Heffner, “Focusing of anelectronbeamby periodic fie.ds,” 7 J. T. Mendel, “Magnetic focusing of electron beams,’’ PROC.
J. A p p l . Phys., vol. 25, pp. 436-447; April, 1964. IRE, vol. 43, pp. 327-331; March, 1985.
 1957 Waters: Space-Charge Efects in Klystrons 49

The general shape of a simple F ( T ) that satisfies A.l is

shown in Fig. 5(a); alsoit shows such a curve approximated
byrectangularsegmentsadjusted so a, = 0. If we let
y = h,/h,, for this F ( T ) , y = 2.63. Fig. 5(b) shows the
matrixelement a plotted vs T,,V% for y = 2.63, 3.0,
and 1.0. Evidently the first region of instability reduces
in this case to a point of instability, and the width of the
unstable region is fairly sensitive to y, and thus to the
field shape.
It appears that little width of a stable region is gained
in going from the easily realizable y = 1.0 to the more
difficult to realize y = 2.63. Also, a small error made in
forming the field, in the case of y = 2.63, would introduce
an appreciable region of instability into what was intended
as pass band. A small error in forming a y = 1 field would
result in only a small changein the width of the pass band.
Onecan design fields for which a, = 0 with lower
values of y. This is accomplished by making the small
prominences on theends of the field pattern closer t o
the positions T = 0 and T = T.This can bedone, however,
withpracticaldevicesonly by increasing L, since the
finite slope of the rise in F ( T ) a t T = 0 is determined in
the main by the size of the aperture in the pole piece
(see Fig. 1). The minimum diameter of the pole piece is
alwaysgreaterthanthat of the beam,and is usually (b)
much greater, to accommodate the interaction structure Fig. 5-(a) F ( T ) andrectangularapproximationfor al = 0. (b)
envelope
and glass of a
microwave tube. Matrix element a vs 47r,,'zz
.""I " for three values of
I
y = &x,
,"',
.
1
'

Space-Charge Effects in Klystrons*

WILLIAM E. WATERS, J R , t

Summary-The effects due to the dc field of the space charge INTRODUCTIOS

in a reflex klystron have been calculated on a digitalcomputer.
It isfound that the electronic efficiency may be reduced by a factor HEX the effect of dc spacechargein a reflex
as large as 10 under space charge conditions which may exist in a klystron is considered it is foundtha4t the potential
typical low-voltage tube. Small signal theories which include the
effects of the dc space charge are presented for the reflex klystron inthe repellerspace[Fig. l(a)] is not alinear
and two-gap klystron amplifiers and oscillators. The small signal function of distance. This nonlinear potential distribution
theory is used primarily to aid in the interpretation of the computer
calculations. The theory predicts that the efficiency of the two-gap
oscillator may be reduced by a factor no greater than 3.7, but that
the power gain of the two-cavity amplifier may be increased by a s

i-
much a s 13.7. It is also found that the inclusion of space charge
effects will ingeneralrequire differentapplieddcvoltages for
operation at the centerof the various electronic modes, a s compared
with the infinitesimal-space-charge conditions. V=O v=-vR
Upon comparing thetheoretical calculations with actualreflex
klystron data, it has been found that the theory adequately explains
the behavior of the power output, efficiency, and electronic band-
width as the beam current is varied, for conditions of moderate or
small space charge. For conditions of large space charge the theo-
retical model does not represent the conditions in an actual tube Fig. 1-(a) Idealized cross section of a reflex klystron.(b)DC
with sufficient accuracy; it is pointed out how the theory may be potential distribution in the reflex klystron.
improved and how the present work may be useful as a starting
point for further calculations.
will alter the details of the kinematical bunching mecha-
* Manuscript received by the PGED, October, 1955. nism. Electrons which enter the repeller spatce a t various
i. Diamond Ordnance Fuze Labs., Washington, D. C . rf phases will have different entering velocities and will