JOURNAL OF ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES AND APPLICATIONS, 2018
VOL. 32, NO. 5, 661669
https://doi.org/10.1080/09205071.2017.1406825
INVITED REVIEW ARTICLE
Millimeter wave helix TWTs’ development for ECM and
communication
BaoLiangHao, LiZheng, YanYanTian, BaoChengSun, XiaoMengYang, NingChen and
JinJunFeng
Beijing Vacuum Electronics Research Institute, Beijing, China
ABSTRACT
A series of studies of high-power millimeter-wave Traveling wave tubes
(TWTs) for electronic countermeasure (ECM) and communication have
been conducted in recent years. The helix TWTs with wide bandwidth
and high eciency can produce output power of over 150W in the
frequency range of 18–26.5GHz and output power of over 120W from
26.5 to 40GHz. The mini-TWTs can produce a stable RF output power
of over 40W in the frequency range of 30–37GHz. The communication
TWTs can produce output power of over 250W covering 27.5–31GHz
with good linearity and output power of 100W covering 40–47GHz.
1. Introduction
Vacuum is an ideal working medium for the electromagnetic wave-particle power transfer.
In the vacuum environment, electrons transfer their energy to the electromagnetic wave in
a exible manner without scattering phenomenon. A series of electric vacuum devices have
been invented such as Traveling wave tubes, Klystron, Magnetron, and Gyrotron. [1,2]. These
devices have been based on the knowledge of physical process, design methods, and mate-
rial, which have been kept improving to enable better properties with high frequency, high
power, high eciency, wide bandwidth, and long life.
Traveling wave tubes as traditional broadband devices have occupied many markets for
communications, radars, and electron warfare for many years. It includes a large number of
military and civilian phased array systems, such as one-dimensional multi-beam-phased
array, two-dimensional passive- and active-phased array systems. Although solid-state
devices have several problems, such as small unit power, low eciency, expensive system,
and large volume of system, the solid-state devices are also crowding out some of the original
markets for TWTs considering the small size, which is more suitable for active-phased array
systems. Wide bandgap semiconductor (GaN) has also begun to grab the market for TWTs
in the centralized 100 W-class in microwave band. It further promotes the vacuum electronic
enterprises to upgrade the performance of TWTs and microwave power modules(MPMs),
such as the TWTs for satellite uplink communications can produce the continuous wave
output power of 1.2 kW in Ku-band, 500 W in Ka-band, and eciency of over 50% [3–5]. The
© 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group
KEYWORDS
TWTs; millimeter-wave; ECM;
communication
ARTICLE HISTORY
Received 29 June 2017
Accepted11 November 2017
CONTACT Li Zheng 13522852975@163.com
