Multicavity Magnetrons with Cold Secondary Emission Cathode: Achievements, Problems, Perspectives

This paper presents the review of investigations of multicavity magnetrons with cold secondary-emission cathode operating over the mm-wave band, side-cathode magnetrons and X-band coaxial magnetrons designed and developed at the A. Ya. Usikov IRE NASU for the period 1955 through 2005 and at Radioastronomical Institute (Rl NASU) for the period 1985 through 2005. The distinctive features of magnetrons design, their operating modes, and energy characteristics are presented. Parameters of magnetron design are given. The results of theoretical and experimental study and applications of cold-cathode magnetrons are briefly described. It is shown that using cold secondary-emission allows extending service life of mm and submm-wave magnetrons, improving energy characteristics, and increasing functional capabilities. It is shown that over 35-150 GHz frequency band magnetron oscillators operating on higher space harmonics of non-pi-mode oscillations have the parameters that satisfy practical requirements