Recent applications of millimeter and submillimeter wave gyrotrons

The possible applications of high-power millimeter (mm) and submillimeter waves from gyro-devices span a wide range of technologies. The plasma physics community has already taken advantage of recent advances in applying high-power micro- and mm-waves generated by gyrotrons in the areas of RF-plasma production, heating, noninductive current drive, plasma stabilization and active plasma diagnostics for magnetic confinement thermonuclear fusion research, such as lower hybrid current drive (8 GHz), electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) (28-170 GHz), electron cyclotron current drive (ECCD), collective Thomson scattering and heat-pulse propagation experiments. Other important applications of gyrotrons are electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) discharges for generation of multi-charged ions and soft X-rays, as well as industrial materials processing and plasma chemistry. Submillimeter wave gyrotrons are employed in high-frequency broadband electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. Future applications which await the development of novel high-power microwave sources include high resolution radar ranging and imaging in atmospheric and planetary science as well as deep-space and specialized satellite communications and RF drivers for next-generation high-gradient linear accelerators (supercolliders). The present paper reviews the state-of-the-art and future prospects of these recent applications of gyro-devices.