Solid-State Travelling-Wave Amplifiers Based on Multistream Instability

摘要

A method for the amplification of microwaves, based on the space-charge interaction of electron streaming sheets with different velocities in a semiconductor, is described. An n(+)-n-n(+) GaAs diode is used to generate these electron streams. We considered here electron-charged sheets, each of which has a different average velocity due to the doping concentration gradient along the thickness direction in the semiconductor. A dispersion relation is obtained for space-charge waves in the semiconductor, and a numerical analysis is used to calculate the propagation constant gamma. The possibility of a growing wave is examined and it is found that a maximum 18 dB gain in the 3-90 GHz band can be achieved. (Reprints)