W-Band Extended Interaction Oscillator Driven by a Pseudospark-Sourced Sheet Electron Beam

The pseudospark (PS) discharge is a form of low-pressure gas discharge, capable of supporting extremely high currents with short rise times by means of a hollow cathode structure
^{1, 2}
. A high-quality electron beam is generated during the discharge process, which possesses high current density and brightness, as well as the ability to propagate through sub-millimeter planar structures via ion channel focusing
³
. Simulations have shown the pseudospark plasma sourced electron beam can propagate within a background plasma of density from 10
¹⁴
to 10
¹⁶
m-3 without any applied guiding magnetic field
⁴
, This makes it an excellent electron beam source for millimeter-wave generation
⁵
.