A Magnetically Insulated Transmission Line Oscillator With Metal Array Cathode

An L-band magnetically insulated transmission line oscillator (MILO) with metal array cathode (MAC) is presented. Metal plates with different radii and thicknesses are periodically arranged in the longitudinal direction to act as emitters. To ensure stability of the tube, higher order mode depressed structure is applied. Experimental results reveal that MAC-MILO works steadily at the fundamental mode. High-power microwave at the same power level as the velvet cathode is generated by the MAC-MILO. The MAC has a much longer lifetime and a much lower outgassing rate compared with the velvet. This tube brings a promising approach to repetitive operation of the MILO.