200 MW L-Band Annular Beam Klystron for Accelerators

78223S High power microwave amplifiers, which have a lower cost per unit power, are needed to drive advanced accelerators. To address this need, this project will develop a novel klystron that can operate at much higher power than conventional devices. As a result, the number of klystrons required for an accelerator will be reduced, thereby lowering the cost. The design, based on an annular beam, will build on a gun developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory. In Phase I, a complete design of the klystron will be realized using a range of computational tools. Elements that will be examined in detail include the RF structure, electron gun, focusing structure, collector, and output coupler. An efficiency of at least 45% will be sought. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: Radio Frequency (RF) accelerators are used for research into the basic physics of the universe, for medical diagnosis and treatment, and for materials processing. The technology for the RF source proposed here should facilitate the creation of new accelerators and could lower the costs of upgrades of existing ones. Accelerators typically require multiple klystrons, and thus create attractive markets. The source is expected to also be of interest to the High Power Microwave Community in DoD.