Gyrotron backward wave oscillator device

Claim 1

A gyrotron backward wave oscillator device characterized in that it includes: an evacuated waveguide section; an electron source at one end of said waveguide section providing a spiral electron beam; a collector at the opposite end of said waveguide section; means for producing a magnetic field parallel to the longitudinal axis of said waveguide section; and an output window at said one end of the waveguide section, the parameters of the device being such as to support backward wave oscillation therein and to output same through said window; the parameters being such that the device operates above a threshold defined by the following relationships: ##EQU11## wherein: L=length of tube waveguide section (meters); B=magnetic field strength (field parallel to axis)(webers/m 2 ); I=electron beam current (amps); A=waveguide cross-section area (m 2 ); q=electron beam shape factor (form factor); f=desired operating frequency (Hz); f co =waveguide cutoff frequency (Hz); v.sub.˜ =electron beam velocity parallel to axis (m/sec); v.sub.⊥ =electron beam velocity perpendicular to axis (m/sec); m=mass of electron (kgm); e=charge of electron (coulomb); C=speed of light in vacuum (m/sec); ε o =permitivity of vacuum (farad/m); and G and H define "gain" and "detuning" parameters, respectively, and have the following relative relationships for the various thresholds of oscillation: ##STR2##