Miniature Sub-Millimeter Wave Magnetron Oscillator

摘要

In this project we pursue the development of a novel miniature submillimeter-wave magnetron oscillator (SMO) which combined vacuum tube technology with solid-state microfabrication technology. The SMO is a compact, rugged and lightweight terahertz source capable of operating in the nearly unexplored near- and far-infrared electromagnetic spectrum. It will provide high power, highly efficient THz radiation for active illumination and/or local oscillators for applications in compact sensor arrays for THz imaging. Civilian applications of these devices include high-resolution radar, satellite telecommunications, remote sensing, line-of-sight networking, plasma and solid- state diagnostics, and high-speed computing. Other military applications of the SMO include line-of-sight networking and communications as well as chemical and biological spectroscopy. In the SMO, a tiny electron beam produced by a micron- sized cold-cathode interacts with the millimeter-wave fields of a miniature multi-vane cylindrical microcavity where the beam, as it rotates about the cavity axis, generates a terahertz signal inside the microcavity. The highly desirable features of the SMO, such as high power and its miniature size, make for an ultrahigh frequency vacuum microtube that has the potential to revolutionize the millimeter-wave tube industry. Once fully developed, the SMO should represent a multi-million dollar market.