Optimized Higher Power Microwave Sources

HPM (high power microwave) weapons could disable vehicles, enable vehicle recovery, and reduce collateral damage. Metamagnetics, in partnership with Professor Jane Lehr (University of New Mexico), and General Atomics propose a completely solid-state HPM system based on their work in Gyromagnetic Nonlinear Transmission Lines (gNLTL) and compact High-Gain Slotted Waveguide Antennas. The system will stop vehicles and vessels and could be developed for airborne applications.HPM systems consist of three main elements: High Voltage Power Supply (HVPS), RF Oscillator or Generator, and Radiator or Antenna. HPM systems require RF generators capable of Mega-Watt power levels and HVPS for high voltage. SOA (state of the art) HPM systems based on magnetrons, travelling wave tubes, and Relativistic Electron Beam (REB) technology are still excessively costly and complex.Through its research partnerships, Metamagnetics has developed new, ultra-compact NLTL technology that is able convert 10% of the energy in each pulse into 1 GHz RF signals resulting in ~0.5 MW average power over 10ns, and peak power of over 1.5 MW for the first nanoseconds. The proposed NLTL will operate at low voltage, low impedance and high repetition rate.