Optical multipactor

Claim 2

An optical multipactor system comprising at least one pair of opposed conducting surfaces coated with secondary emissive material and separated by a prescribed gap distance, this gap being arranged to be kept at a relatively high vacuum; means for maintaining the gap region substantially evacuated; a source of light energy; means for focusing said light energy through said gap, the level and vibration mode of said energy being sufficient to induce an optical multipactor discharge in said gap; and discharge terminating means connected between said surfaces for selectively terminating said discharge, wherein said energy is provided at infrared wave lengths or shorter and disposed to be polarized normal to said emissive surfaces and adapted to oscillate electron clouds between said surfaces in a prescribed synchronous manner whereby the transit time therefor is on the order of one-half a radiation vibration period.

Claim 3

The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said emissive surfaces comprise material having an emissivity greater than unity and adapted to be thermally compatible with the said multipactor operation and not vaporize during this operation.

Claim 4

The system as described in claim 1 wherein said termination means comprises a source of high DC voltage but below that level tending to cause an arc across said gap.

Claim 5

The combination as recited in claim 3 wherein sAid emissive material comprises silver-magnesium or the like.

Claim 6

The combination as recited in claim 1 wherein it is also provided emission starter means adapted to selectively initiate secondary emission from at least one of said surfaces.

Claim 7

The combination as recited in claim 5 wherein said starter means is arranged to be controlled so as to selectively initiate the prescribed beam attenuation action.

Claim 8

The combination as recited in claim 1 wherein is provided anti-leakage means surrounding said gap and adapted to minimize the leakage of electrons therefrom.

Claim 9

The combination as recited in claim 1 wherein said gap is adapted to have a length sufficient to provide the prescribed degree of beam attenuation.

Claim 10

In a device using multipactor discharge, at least one pair of opposed emissive electrode surfaces defining a multipactor gap region having a prescribed gap distance therebetween, confronting portions of the electrode surfaces having emissive material thereon with a secondary emission coefficient greater than unity; an electromagnetic energy source for generating a high-intensity radiation beam at infra-red or shorter wave length; means for focusing the beam through this multipactor region; said beam being selected and provided so as to exhibit an alternating electric field in the multipactor region whereby electrons will be alternately attracted to one electrode surface and then to its opposite producing secondary electron emission there in synchronism with the beam field; and quenching means for disrupting this electron emission and so terminating the associated multipactor discharge, and thereby, the beam treatment.

Claim 11

In a device using multipactor discharge, at least one pair of opposed emissive electrode surfaces defining a multipactor gap region having a prescribed gap distance therebetween, confronting portions of the electrode surfaces having emissive material thereon with a secondary emission coefficient greater than unity; an electromagnetic energy source for generating a high-intensity radiation beam at infra-red or shorter wave length; means for focusing the beam through this multipactor region; said beam being selected and provided so as to exhibit an alternating electric field in the multipactor region whereby electrons will be alternately attracted to one electrode surface and then to its opposite producing secondary electron emission there in synchronism with the beam field; and quenching means for disrupting this electron emission and so terminating the associated multipactor discharge, and thereby, the beam treatment.

Claim 12

The combination as recited in claim 9 wherein said quenching means comprises a source of high DC biasing voltage applied to said electrodes to prevent the emitted electrons in the multipactor region from traversing the gap, to thereby either prevent formation of a multipactor discharge or else quench an existing multipactor discharge.