A Comparison of Linearity and Efficiency in Conventional and Transverse TWT Amplifiers

Traveling-wave tubes (TWTs) based on the transverse interaction between an electron beam and a circularly polarized circuit wave were investigated starting in the 1960s. Small-signal theory based on a pencil beam suggested that these devices would have high efficiency and good linearity. Further analysis showed that the effect of a finite beam radius would limit these advantages. We present results from a short numerical study using a large signal code that compared the predicted performance of a conventional TWT with that of a transverse TWT of the same dc beam power. We find that the transverse TWT retains its advantages under large signal conditions