Design and demonstration of W-band gyrotron amplifiers for radar applications

CPI is currently developing several broadband, high-power, W-band gyrotron amplifiers for radar applications. A wide-bandwidth gyro-traveling-wave-tube (TWT) amplifier will be used as the driver for an array of higher-power gyrotwystron amplifiers. The gyro-TWT amplifier, which recently demonstrated 2 kW peak output power at 40% duty factor with a full-width-half-maximum bandwidth greater than 6.5 GHz, has been delivered to and installed at a radar site. Several gyrotwystron amplifiers, each of which has produced at least 55 kW peak output power at 10% duty factor with a bandwidth in excess of 1.6 GHz, have also been delivered to the radar facility. Key design features and the results of experimental demonstrations for both the gyro-TWT and gyrotwystron amplifiers are presented below.