Investigation of a Novel High-Current Multipacting Cathode and Its Diode Application

In this study, we designed a diode with a novel and compact multipacting cathode to meet the needs of high-power microwave (HPM) systems. The feasibility of the high current density output of the cathode was verified by Monte Carlo (MC) and particle-in-cell (PIC) methods simulation, and the effects of parameters such as magnetic field, material secondary electron yield (SEY), cathode–anode distance, channel aperture, and initial input current on the output current density were investigated. The results show that these parameters significantly affect the multipacting process and the output current density. The high output current density of 6 kA/cm2 was finally obtained for the optimized cathode, and the high output current can be further achieved by a multichannel structure.