A 71 dB Gain, High Efficiency Relativistic Klystron using a High Current Linear Accelerator Traveling Wave Buncher Output Structure

After five years of operation, the 17 GHz MKII relativistic klystron in service at the MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center was upgraded with a new output structure to provide a common source of high peak power for continuing operation of the 17 GHz linac, for RF gun testing and for energizing a recently developed circularly polarized beam deflection RF system to evaluate the ultra short electron bunch performance of the linac. The salient features of the impedance and phase velocity tapered new traveling wave output structure designed for high gain and stability are described; and initial high power test results of the 17 GHz relativistic klystron are presented. The output structure was designed as a beam driven bunching and phase shifting 2π/3 mode circuit using codes that were developed over a 40 year period designing, fabricating and testing high current traveling wave linac bunchers. The electrical length of the new (MKIII) output circuit was extended to 1200 degrees using a group to phase velocity harmonic mean ratio of 0.124 to provide total skin losses of less than 5 percent and a phase/frequency sensitivity of only 0.6 degree/MHz. A dual feed racetrack shaped output cavity having a decelerating gradient of 150 kV/cm and beam apertures substantially larger than λ0/2, to allow reduction of space charge debunching forces, are added advantages of this 25 MW, 71 dB gain RF amplifier