Q/V-Band High-Power Uplink Helix TWT for Future High-Data-Rate Communications

Next-generation satellite systems need high-power Q/V-band uplink amplifiers for 1 Terabit/s broadband communications to satisfy the ever increasing demand driven by on-demand streaming videos, and to compete with terrestrial systems, more specifically fiber-optics-based communications systems. With the increasingly congested Ka-band, moving to the Q/V-band spectrum (40-GHz downlink and 50-GHz uplink) is a natural course to increase data rate. To meet this market need, L3 Technologies, Electron Devices Division successfully developed a Q/V-band uplink helix traveling-wave-tube, the 8936H that produces 250-W peak saturated output power with overall efficiency up to 46% across 47 to 52.4 GHz. The 8936H can operate up to 150-W continuous-wave over the design bandwidth from 47 to 51.4 GHz with a potential to extend the bandwidth up to 52.4 GHz.