Deflection microwave amplifier with field‐emitter arrays

A new class of microwave and millimeter‐wave amplifiers, based on the deflection of collimated microscopic electron beams with high‐current density and low voltage from field‐emitter arrays, was analyzed. The deflection concept may be applied in two ways; as microelectronic amplifiers or as bunched beam cathodes to power conventional amplifier configurations such as klystrodes and traveling wave tubes. We found that the frequency fT, at which the short‐circuit current gain attains unit magnitude, depends only on the electron beam energy, current density, and emittance, and is independent of beamwidth and total current. The results indicate that field‐emitter arrays have the potential of making wideband deflection amplifiers at frequencies up to tens of GHz. © 1994 American Institute of Physics.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/69885/2/APPLAB-65-22-2881-1.pd