6Microwave Power Tubes

6.1 Introduction

Microwave power tubes span a wide range of applications, operating at frequencies from 300 MHz to 300 GHz with output powers from a few hundred watts to more than 10 MW. Applications range from the familiar to the exotic. The following devices are included under the general description of microwave power tubes:

  • Klystron, including the reflex and multicavity klystron

  • Multistage depressed collector (MSDC) klystron

  • Inductive output tube (IOT)

  • Traveling wave tube (TWT)

  • Crossed-field tube

  • Coaxial magnetron

  • Gyrotron

  • Planar triode

  • High-frequency tetrode

  • Diacrode

This wide variety of microwave devices has been developed to meet a broad range of applications. Some common uses include the following:

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