Advanced Backward Wave Oscillators

This proposed program will result in the developmentof the next generation of millimeter and submillimeter wave, tunable Backward Wave Oscillators (BWOs). Successful development will result in devices that require significantly less input power, require less cooling, have reduced weight, and improved mode purity than current devices. Calabazas Creek Research, Inc. (CCR) is proposing to develop the first BWOs with a depressed collector, spent beam energy recovery system that will reduce the prime power requirement and allow air cooling instead of water cooling. An additional goal will be to develop mode converters between the the slow wave sturcture and the the overmoded output to allow for single mode operation. Finally, advanced permanent magnet technology will be applied to reduce the magnet and system weight.BWO sources are presently used for ground based atmospheric sensing of trace chemicals, testing of solid state sensors, and for basic spectroscopy research. The innovative development proposed here will allow these devices to be used for airbourne or space atmospheric sensing missions, as well as reduce the cost and complexity of BWO sources, making their unique tunability and output power capability more accessible to both private and government laboratories.