High Linear Power E-Band Traveling-Wave Tube for Communication Applications

A low-voltage and high linear power E-band traveling-wave tube amplifier is designed to meet the demand of high-data-rate wireless communication. The integrated design, including the dispersion combination of folded waveguide slow wave structure, broadband diamond pillbox window, and AlN-SiC lumped attenuator, ensures the success of the prototype tube with satisfying performance. The test results show that the amplifier is capable of providing more than 45.2 W output power, 38.8 dB saturated gain, 14.3% total efficiency, and 45.6 dB small-signal gain in 71-76 GHz band with a low voltage of 12.88 kV and a current of 80 mA. The 1 dB compression point exceeding 20 W verifies the feasibility of dispersion combination technology for high linear power design.