Whispering-Gallery-Mode Gyrotron Operation with a Quasi-Optical Antenna

High-frequency gyrotron operation in the TE611 whispering gallery mode is reported. Powers as high as 112 kW and an efficiency as high as 25.4 percent have been obtained. In addition to the TE611 mode, ten other fundamental modes with frequencies between 133.9 and 216.4 GHz were observed. A quasi-optical antenna for whispering gallery modes has been tested for the TE611 mode. The combination of this antenna and a reflector produces a well-collimated linearly polarized RF beam suitable for electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) or plasma diagnostics. The experimental conversion efficiency was determined to be 89 percent, and the cross polarization was down by 25 dB. A new quasi-optical transmission line employing this antenna has also been tested with the gyrotron. The absence of mode competition for the TE611 mode, as well as the efficient conversion of the output radiation into a linearly polarized Gaussian-like beam, substantiates the arguments for operation in surface modes in high-power gyrotrons. The implications of quasi-optical antennas for megawatt gyrotron window design are discussed.