SBIR-STTR Award

The sheet beam klystron holds great promise for providing the high radio frequency power needed for modern linear colliders. However, sheet beam generation is not readily amenable to computer simulation; therefore, experimental validation of the design is sorely needed. This project will (1) fabricate a highly flexible, demountable sheet beam analyzer with a fluorescent screen for the direct observation of the beam cross section, and then use the analyzer to study the effects of a wide range of electrode shape modifications and spacings. Phase I will be limited to detailing, fabrication, construction, processing, and testing of the analyzer with one particular set of electrodes. If time permits, other electrode refinements will be tested.

Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee:
The demountable beam analyzer should benefit the design of future sheet beam klystrons. In fact, the success of the sheet beam klystron, as an option for future high-energy physics experiments, may depend in part upon the success of this demountable beam analyzer

The sheet-beam klystron holds great promise for providing high RF power for modern linear colliders. However, sheet beam generation is not readily amenable to computer simulation; therefore, experimental validation of the design is sorely needed. This project will develop a demountable sheet beam analyzer with a fluorescent screen for direct observation of the electron beam cross section. In Phase I, an analyzer with a fluorescent screen was designed, fabricated, and tested with a new kind of sheet-beam gun, which morphs a round beam into an elliptical beam. Two versions of the analyzer were fabricated and succussfully tested: one version was used to test the fluorescent screen, the second to provide direct viewing of the elliptical beam cross section. In Phase II, two 500-kV beam analyzers will be designed, fabricated, and tested at high voltage at the Standford Linear Accelerator Center.

Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee:
The demountable beam analyzer should provide significant value for the design of future sheet-beam klystrons. The technology also offers the potential for providing RF power from light-weight, affordable generators for use with portable X-ray scanners of thousands of shipping containers.