Injection Locked "Cooker" Magnetron

The Navy desires a compact and highly efficient S-band magnetron source with stabilized output capable of modulation over a narrow bandwidth. In this Phase I STTR proposal, Physical Sciences Inc (PSI) outlines the development of an injection locked “cooker” magnetron which can be used for frequency shift keying (FSK) or phase shift keying (PSK) in a portable high power transmission device. In Phase I, PSI will determine through simulation the optimal means of frequency pulling COTs magnetrons while minimizing the cost and complexity of ancillary electronics. PSI will work with the University of New Mexico to determine an injection scheme via simulation. We will demonstrate modulation on a benchtop breadboard. We will measure performance of the overall injection locked magnetron system and compare simulation to experiment. During Phase II, PSI will work to transition the injection locked source from the breadboard and integrate it into a mobile platform to be deployed and tested in the field. The mobile system would include power supply and driver electronics, packaged into a small volume and low weight. PSI will leverage the efficiency, availability and low cost of these mass-produced S-band sources to develop a SWAP-C minimized system.