A modulator for advanced klystrons

Improved efficient high power, high voltage modulators are important to enable accelerator development and applications including advanced accelerator design for high energy physics applications, such as advanced versions of linear colliders. The technology is also needed for pollution control, food purification, and electron beam generation. This paper reports demonstration of the use of an innovation in this technology, utilizing switched modulator applications. This work demonstrated key features that are desired in the next generation of modulators, including fast rise time, high efficiency, reduced voltage requirement on switches, and pulse flat-top. Operation of a proof-of-principal device at 160 kV, 25 ns rise time, 150 ns flat top, 75 ns fall time, and 200 Hz repetition rate was achieved. The modulator was comprised of lines, a thyratron, and three series-switched gaps. The work demonstrated the feasibility of this advanced modulator concepts for work at higher voltages, including applications at ≈500 kV