Advancements in traveling-wave tube efficiency with combined voltage jump, velocity, tapers and enhanced beam bunching

Efficiency studies on a demoumtable traveling-wave tube are described. With the application of new efficiency enhancement techniques, it was possible to demonstrate electronic conversion efficiencies in excess of 50% with 20 db gain, compared to 26% obtainable without such techniques. The tube uses an X-band, coupled cavity circuit at the 10 kw power level in pulsed operation but the application of the described techniques is not restricted to this type of slow-wave structure.