EQUILIBRIUM AND STABILITY OF FREE-RUNNING, PHASE-LOCKED, AND MODE-LOCKED QUASI-OPTICAL GYROTRONS

Equilibria and stability (both single-mode and sideband) are calculated and contrasted for free-running, phase-locked, and mode-locked oscillator configurations in a quasi-optical gyrotron. The oscillator can be phase-locked by direct injection of radiation into the oscillator cavity. The equilibrium and stability properties are not greatly affected here at low injection power levels. Alternatively, the oscillator could be phase-locked by prebunching the beam. If the beam is prebunched, there are dramatic effects on both equilibrium and stability. The transverse efficiency can be considerably enhanced by prebunching the beam. This prebunching can be done in either a phase-locked (using an external RF source) or mode-locked (using the oscillator output) configuration. The stable locking bandwidth turns out to be about half the ω/Q linewidth of the mode. © 1990 IEEE