Pseudospark-sourced beam and its application in high-power millimeter-wave generation

Abstract

A pseudospark (PS) discharge can generate an electron beam with a high current density. The electron beam can be self-focused by an ion channel and transported over a long distance without the need for an external magnetic field. Such features make it attractive to drive millimeter-wave/THz interaction circuits for the generation of high-power radiation from a compact device. This paper presents the experimental results on the generation and transportation of the PS-sourced beam with different cross-sections, as well as the differences of the PS-sourced beam with and without post acceleration. Its application in millimeter-wave/THz sources was demonstrated by the operation of extended interaction oscillators (EIOs) at different frequencies is presented.

A study of pulsed high voltage driven hollow-cathode electron beam sources through synchronous optical trigger

“…Therefore, the hollow-cathode nanosecond pulsed electron beam sources have a wide range of application prospects in surface irradiation modification [18][19][20][21]. Besides, the characteristics of the hollow-cathode nanosecond pulsed electron beam sources are advantageous for several other applications, including the THz microwaves [22][23][24], soft X-ray radiation sources [25,26], ultra-UV radiation [27][28][29], space electric propulsion [30,31], and so on.…”

Simulation of pseudospark discharge and the transportation of the generated electron beam

“…Pseudospark (PS) discharge is a low-pressure gas discharge characterized by a rapid breakdown phase with the generation of a high current density electron beam, which is over 100 times higher than a thermionic cathode. Due to the unique features of the PS-sourced beam, it has found applications in material treatment, ultraviolet light sources for lithography, high-power switches, and the generation of high-power millimeter/terahertz wave radiation [1][2][3][4].…”