USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

US Government As Represented by the Secretary of the Army

George Bergeron

Louis J Jasper, Jr

Douglas A Kirkpatrick

Roger D Kaul

Chance Glenn

Max Rhinewine

An apparatus using field emission techniques to limit voltage on RF transmission lines. A voltage limiter comprises a cathode and an anode housed in an airtight tube, whereby the cathode comprises a field emitter array having a plurality of field tips distributed about the surface of an insulating layer, and a microstrip transmission line overlying the insulating layer and having a predetermined width to form electrical contact with a selected group of the field tips. The microstrip transmission line enables propagation of electromagnetic microwave energy over a bandwidth of multiple octaves. The field emitters enable the generation of a flow of electrons at a predetermined breakdown threshold voltage, without the necessity for an external source to induce electron flow. Generation of the electron flow by the field tips creates a reflection wave on the transmission line that interferes with the incident electromagnetic energy to limit the voltage on the transmission line.

Microwave field emitter array limiter

A gyrotron providing first and second microwave frequencies comprises a dual frequency cavity coupled between an electron gun and a waveguide. The electron gun, the dual frequency cavity and a segment of the waveguide are surrounded by a variable magnetic source having first and second operating states. The first state provides microwaves at the first frequency, while the second state produces microwaves at the second frequency.

Dual cavity for a dual frequency gyrotron

Growing community of inventors

Springfield, VA, United States of America

George Bergeron