A Barkhausen-Kurz oscillator at centimeter wavelengths

This paper describes a new device for the generation of high-frequency oscillations in the centimeter wavelength region with high efficiency and low starting currents. The tube is fundamentally a Barkhausen-Kurz oscillator [1] utilizing a resonant cavity and a magnetically focused electron beam, but with no accelerating grids. The important features of this tube are the use of a parabolic potential distribution to utilize multiple transit electron motion, and the use of the magnetic field to control coupling between the electron stream and the resonator field and to reduce to negligible value the current intercepted at the resonator gap. A preliminary theory of the electronic energy interchange of this oscillator is provided, and the background theory of the oscillator design is discussed. Both X-band and K-band tubes have been tested. In the X-band tube, a maximum output power of 1.8 watts and a maximum efficiency of 13.5 per cent were obtained. At K band, the maximum power output was 430 milliwatts, and the maximum efficiency was 12.2 per cent. Starting currents belaw 0.1 ma have been observed at X band.