A compact, high power, 0.65 THz source

Northrop Grumman Corp. (NGC) has continued to develop a VE-based folded waveguide (FWG) technology as part of DARPA's terahertz imaging focal plane array technology (TIFT) source development program. The THz source consists of a thermionic electron gun, a FWG regenerative oscillator circuit, a depressed collector, and a 10 kG Nd-Fe-B permanent magnet solenoid to confine the electron beam. Significant improvements have been made to the compact THz source, increasing the output power, efficiency, and operational duty cycle.