Current Status of the Next Linear Collider X-Band Klystron Development Program

Klystrons capable of driving accelerator sections in the Next Linear Collider (NLC) have been developed at SLAC during the last decade. In addition to fourteen 50 MW solenoid-focused devices and a 50 MW Periodic Permanent Magnet focused (PPM) klystron, a 500 kV 75 MW PPM klystron was tested in 1999 to 80 MW with 3 (micro)s pulses, but very low duty. Subsequent 75 MW prototypes aimed for low-cost manufacture by employing reusable focusing structures external to the vacuum, similar to a solenoid electromagnet. During the PPM klystron development, several partners (CPI, EEV and Toshiba) have participated by constructing partial or complete PPM klystrons. After early failures during testing of the first two devices, SLAC has recently tested this design (XP3-3) to the full NLC specifications of 75 MW, 1.6 (micro)s pulse length, and 120 Hz. This 14.4 kW average power operation came with an efficiency of 50%. The XP3-3 average and peak output power, together with the focusing method, arguably makes it the most advanced high power klystron ever built anywhere in the world. Design considerations and test results for these latest prototypes will be presented