Experimental Studies of Microwave Tubes with Components of Electron–Optical and Electrodynamic Systems Implemented Using Novel 3D Additive Technology

Abstract

Novel additive technology of the Chemical Metallization of Photopolymer-based Structures (CMPS) is under active elaboration currently at the IAP RAS (Nizhny Novgorod). The use of this technology has made it possible to implement components of electron–optical and electrodynamic systems for high-power microwave vacuum tubes, such as a gyrotron and a relativistic Cherenkov maser, the design and experimental studies of which are described in this paper. Within the framework of the gyrotron developments, we carried out a simulation of the distribution of the heat load on the collector of high-power technological gyrotron taking into account secondary emission. The prospect of a significant reduction in the maximum power density of the deposited electron beam was shown. The experimental study of the gyrotron collector module manufactured using CMPS technology demonstrated high potential for its further implementation. Recent results of theoretical and experimental studies of a spatially extended Ka-band Cherenkov maser are presented. In this oscillator, the 2D-periodical slow-wave structure made by the proposed technology was applied and a narrow-band generation regime was observed with a sub-GW power level. The design and simulations of a novel selective electrodynamic system for a high-harmonic gyrotron with the planned application of the CMPS technology are discussed.

Planar Bragg Reflectors for Frequency-Tunable Sub-Terahertz Gyrotrons

“…A new additive technology based on photopolymer 3D printing, which is currently being actively applied at the IAP RAS, was used to produce a model of a modified Bragg reflector [29,30]. Within the framework of this technology, plastic is polymerized in layers via UV radiation passing through a liquid crystal LCD screen, while the high resolution of LCD matrices allows us to achieve a minimum size of roughness in all coordinates of no more than 20 microns.…”

“…Thus, new technologies ensuring a quick and inexpensive manufacturing of experimental samples of sets of these sub-THz mirrors are required. The IAP RAS actively implements a novel additive technology based on photopolymer 3D printing together with the chemical metallization of photopolymer-based structures (CMPS) [29,30]. The use of this technology allows us to create components of complex forms with small-scale elements.…”

Application of Chemical Metallization of Photopolymer Structures Additive Technology in the Production of Components for Electronic Devices

“…The key difference from the previous case is the impossibility of mechanical removal of the photopolymer mandrel. For instance, consider an example of creating a collector of a powerful (55 kW in a beam) technological gyrotron [25], on the basis of which the technology was optimized. The structure of the collector model is shown in Figure 12a.…”