Integrated design of depressed collectors for gyrotrons

In order to obtain optimum collector efficiency and to control the electron trajectories in the collector region the design process for depressed collectors has to take into account several interlinked parameters. A flow diagram is presented for a systematic design procedure which integrates the various steps. A library of computer codes has been developed to assist in different stages of design. Among the key elements is a code that generates contours of effective potential and helps to define the regions of accessibility for electrons. These contours and the lines of magnetic flux can be drawn against the backdrop of the collector geometry. The different control parameters can be varied and their effect on the contours studied interactively. The search area for optimum parameters is thus considerably reduced. Additional codes make it possible to evaluate each design in terms of collector efficiency, division of beam current between different collectors, and the heat dissipation density profile. Using these codes, a design has been developed for a two-stage depressed collector for a 1-mW, 110-GHz gyrotron yielding a collector efficiency of 68%.