Novel Folded Frame Slow-Wave Structure for Millimeter-Wave Traveling-Wave Tube

A new type of folded frame slow-wave structure (SWS) is introduced and used in the design of a low-voltage, high-efficiency, and widebandwidth millimeter-wave traveling-wave tube (TWT). The high-frequency characteristics of the folded frame structure, including dispersion properties, coupling impedances, and reflection characteristics are investigated. The beam-wave interaction of the TWT with the folded frame SWS working at the millimeter-wave frequency range is also calculated using 3-D particle-in-cell algorithms. The simulation results reveal that with sheet electron beam parameters of 6000 V and 0.2 A, the average output power and electron efficiency can reach 196 W and 16.3%, respectively. Compared with the symmetric double V-shaped microstrip meander-line SWS, the folded frame SWS has larger coupling impedances and can generate higher output power.