Advances in vacuum electronics at DARPA

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency funds leading-edge research that continually expands the capabilities of the military. Over the past several years, a number of US DoD research programs have focused on the electron beam generation and transport technologies that enable vacuum electronic devices capable of operating across the electromagnetic spectrum from G-band to x-rays. This paper will describe the program goals, discuss the electron sources, highlight selected breakthroughs, and preview potential new areas.