Monte Carlo evaluation of the effects of higher order modes in high-power millimeter-wave systems

The effect of higher order modes on the performance of high-power millimeter wave systems is evaluated with a Monte Carlo method. It makes use of the superposition principle, which allows to simulate the system just for the pure modes resulting in fundamental solutions. For the Monte Carlo analysis, we generate linear combinations of these solutions for 1000s of mode mixtures. The results are histograms for important parameters like peak power densities, truncation losses and the overall heating efficiency. The results can be helpful for the design of high-power millimeter wave systems, especially the dimensioning of cooling systems or the definitions of safety margins in cases, where the expected field strength is close to the breakdown limit.