CHAPTER 4

Microwave Tubes
Introduction

Conventional Tubes:
 At Microwave frequency range they become less
effective.
 They cannot be used as an Amplifier or as an Oscillator.
 Amplifier requires more power – Gain falls to unity or
less.
 Oscillator output drops more with increase in frequency.
Introduction

 The performance of conventional tubes can be

increased by using:
 Two Cavity Klystron
 Multi-cavity Klystron
 Reflex Klystron
 Travelling Wave Tube
 Magnetron
Limitations of Conventional
Tubes
 The factors contributing to a reduction of output at UHF
are:
 Circuit Reactances
A. Inter-electrode capacitances
B. Lead Inductance
 Transit Time Effect
 Cathode Emission
 Power loss due radiation, dielectric loss
Microwave Tubes

 Electron transit time is utilized for Microwave

oscillation & amplification.
 The principle uses an electron beam on which EM waves
are superimposed.
 They help transfer energy to the output.
 They are of 2 types
A) O-Type B) M-Type
Two Cavity Klystron Amplifier

Structure:
 It consists of a cathode, focussing electrodes, Two
buncher grids.
 Cavity close to cathode is known as the buncher cavity.
 The other cavity is called as the Catcher cavity.
Two Cavity Klystron Amplifier

Mechanism of Operation:
 It works on the principle of velocity and current
modulation.
 High electron beam is formed, focussed and sent to the
collector.
 The beams arrive at the first cavity with uniform
velocity.
Two Cavity Klystron Amplifier

 At gap A the RF signal to be amplified is attached to the

electron beam.
 After gap B it reaches to collector.
 The region between the buncher and catcher grid is
called as drift space.
 Focussing Electrode – Controls no. of electron beam &
serves to focus.
 The velocity is determined by its beam accelaration.
Two Cavity Klystron Amplifier

 After the first grid the electrons pass through buncher

cavity.
 The cavity allows electrons to pass but limits the
magnetic field.
 When electrons travel through space they are subjected
to RF potentials at a frequency(Resonant or input
frequency).
Reflex Klystron

Reflex Klystron is a
 Low power.
 Low efficiency.
 Microwave oscillator.
Mechanism of Reflex Klystron

 It does not require focussing.

 High positive voltage is applied to anode.
 Thus the beam accelerates towards the cavity.
 The repeller electrode is applied with high negative
voltage.
 Thus the electron beam turns back and travels back
towards cavity.
Mechanism of Reflex Klystron

 The dc potential to the repeller is useful for tuning the

klystron operating frequency.
 Repeller potential must be found.
 This helps in vary the transit time of repelled bundles.
 So they arrive back in phase at the cavity.
Review Questions

1. Give the limitations of conventional tubes.

2. Discuss the structure of Two-cavity klystron with a neat

diagram?

3. Discuss the mechanism/operation of Two-cavity klystron

with a neat diagram?
Reference

 https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/momp/reader.a
ction?docID=870723&ppg=301

 Power Vacuum Tubes - by Jerry Whitaker PUBLISHER

CRC Press LLC