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Influence of reflections on the operation of the 2 MW, CW 170 GHz coaxial

cavity gyrotron for ITER

Article  in  Nuclear Fusion · November 2003

DOI: 10.1088/0029-5515/43/11/018

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© 2003 International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Reprinted with permission from Nuclear Fusion 43, number 11, pages 1454-1457.
http://www.iop.org/ej/nf

INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS PUBLISHING and INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY NUCLEAR FUSION
Nucl. Fusion 43 (2003) 1454–1457 PII: S0029-5515(03)67560-5

Influence of reflections on the operation of

the 2 MW, CW 170 GHz coaxial cavity
gyrotron for ITER
M.I. Airila1 , O. Dumbrajs1 , P. Kåll1 and B. Piosczyk2
1
Helsinki University of Technology, Euratom-Tekes Association, PO Box 2200, FIN-02015
HUT, Finland
2
Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Institut für Hochleistungsimpuls- und Mikrowellentechnik,
Euratom-FZK Association, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, D-76344
Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
E-mail: [email protected]

Received 14 November 2002, accepted for publication 1 August 2003

Published 3 November 2003
Online at stacks.iop.org/NF/43/1454
Abstract
The influence of reflections on the operation of the 2 MW, CW 170 GHz coaxial cavity gyrotron oscillating in the
TE− 34,19 mode is studied. In particular, frequency-independent power reflections, e.g. from plasma or some elements
of the transmission line, larger than 1% and occurring in a poor phase may lead to oscillation breakdown and should be
avoided. Frequency-dependent reflections from a specially designed diamond window influence mode competition,
but contract the oscillation region of the operating mode noticeably only under the unrealistic assumption that all
reflected power returns to the cavity. The conclusion is that the gyrotron is sufficiently robust against possible
negative effects related to reflections.

PACS numbers: 52.50.Sw, 84.40.Ik

1. Introduction • study of the mechanism of parasitic low frequency

(
100 MHz) oscillations,
For fusion experiments of the next generation such as the • measurements of the influence of the misalignment of the
international thermonuclear experimental reactor (ITER), a coaxial insert on the operating conditions of the gyrotron,
microwave power of about 20 MW at 170 GHz operating in • fast frequency tuning (within 0.1 ms) by applying a bias
a quasi-CW regime is foreseen. To reduce the costs of the voltage at the insert.
electron cyclotron wave system, an increase of the output
power per unit to about 2 MW is desirable. Coaxial cavity In figure 1 the schematic layout of this gyrotron is shown.
gyrotrons have the potential to fulfil this requirement as has It can be said that the physical basis for fabrication of a
been demonstrated within a development program performed 2 MW, CW 170 GHz coaxial cavity gyrotron, as specified by
as an ITER task at Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe [1–6]. ITER, has been proven. As a first step towards such a gyrotron
In particular, the following experimental studies have been some theoretical work has already been done. For example,
performed with the coaxial gyrotron operating in the TE− 31,17 in [7] the TE−
34,19 mode has been selected as the operating mode
mode at 165 GHz: and mode competition calculations have been performed.
• investigation of stable operating conditions and of efficient In this paper we analyse the influence of possible
microwave power generation, reflections on the operation of the ITER gyrotron. Reflection
• investigation of the performance with increasing pulse of microwave power from the output window or other
lengths, components as well as incomplete mode conversion can result
• measurement of the mechanical stability of the coaxial in significant stray radiation captured inside a gyrotron. In
insert under operating conditions, experiments with the TE− 28,16 coaxial cavity gyrotron (see [2])
• measurement of losses at the coaxial insert and it has been shown that the stability of operation suffers from
comparison with calculations, stray radiation, e.g. due to increased occurrence of electron
• investigation of the microwave stray radiation captured beam instabilities. The stability can be enhanced by absorbing
inside the gyrotron tube, the stray radiation with suitable material placed inside the

0029-5515/03/111454+04$30.00 © 2003 IAEA, Vienna Printed in the UK 1454

 Reflections in the coaxial gyrotron for ITER

0
Single CVD Diamond Disk Window
er = 5.67, tan d = 4×10-5 , d = 1.852 mm
-5
depressed
collector (SDC)
-10

R w (dB)
ceramic -15
insulation

-20

output window
-25
rf-beam phase correcting mirrors

launcher with cut -30

160 165 170 175 180
insulation
of the body
Frequency (GHz)
cavity with tapered and
corrugated insert
Figure 2. Reflection coefficient for the reflected power of a single
beam tunnel 1.852 mm CVD diamond disc window as a function of frequency.

electron gun with Table 1. The operating TE− 34,19 and competing modes with their
coaxial insertt frequencies and amplitude reflection coefficients. Rotation ‘+’
means counter-rotating with the electrons and ‘−’ co-rotating. In
sc-magnet (Bmax 6.6T)
with dipole coils
the calculations it was assumed that counter-rotating modes were
not reflected (see text).
Mode Rotation F (GHz) |Rs |
34, 19 − 170.00 <0.10
36, 19 − 174.24 0.36
35, 19 − 172.13 0.20
33, 19 − 167.90 0.18
rf-beam 32, 19 + 165.79 0.34 (0)
34, 20 + 175.38 0.42 (0)
33, 20 + 173.26 0.28 (0)
32, 20 + 171.15 0.10 (0)

Figure 1. Schematic layout of the coaxial cavity gyrotron with

radial output. 3. Description of reflections

The influence of reflections on gyrotron operation has been

tube. Nevertheless, reflections should be avoided to make the studied in several papers by means of different methods
accessible parameter range as wide as possible. (see [8–11] and references therein). In [8] the dependence
of mode competition scenario on reflections was studied and
the need to use the self-consistent approach was emphasized.
2. Reflections Here the reflection was simulated by an iris in a waveguide,
the reflection coefficient was considered as a complex quantity,
Reflections of microwave power can occur at the gyrotron and the delay time describing the accumulation of the phase
RF output window as well as along the transmission system in the passage of the wave to the reflection point and back
with an additional window at the torus side. While reflections was introduced. In [9] the effect of wave reflection on the
along the transmission system and the plasma depend weakly single-mode operation of a gyrotron was investigated with the
help of Rieke diagrams and numerical results corresponding
on frequency and are difficult to control, it is relatively easy
to experiments performed with the TE− 22,6 140 GHz gyrotron
to avoid frequency-dependent reflections from the gyrotron
operating at Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe were presented.
window by designing it carefully. For the coaxial cavity
In [10,11] a time-domain analysis of gyrotron operation in the
gyrotron for ITER an output window consisting of a single
presence of reflections was developed and applied to the same
CVD diamond disc is suggested. In order to keep the gyrotron. Here the influence of the distance to the reflecting
reflections at the nominal frequency 170 GHz small, the load on the gyrotron behaviour was demonstrated. It was also
thickness of the disc is chosen to be 1.852 mm. This should shown that the traditionally accepted scenario of the transition
guarantee a power reflection less than 1% for the nominal from the single-frequency stationary operation regime to the
mode. However, reflections of the neighbouring competing chaotic nonstationary regime due to an increase of operating
modes increase with their distance from the nominal frequency, current [12] in the case of reflections should be rather replaced
as shown in figure 2. In table 1 we list all the relevant by a very complicated periodic and quasi-periodic behaviour.
modes with their frequencies and reflection coefficients for In conventional gyrotrons with an axial output it can be
the amplitude deduced from figure 2 by means of the relation assumed that a part of a specific RF cavity mode is reflected
|R| = 10|Rw |/20 . from the window and returns to the cavity. The reflection

1455
M.I. Airila et al

coefficient, the distance to the load, and the delay time have Without reflections the wave freely propagates in the
transparent meanings. In gyrotrons with a radial output longitudinal direction once it leaves the interaction space. In
(figure 1) this transparency is lost. After leaving the cavity real gyrotron resonators this is described by imposing the
the RF signal hits the launcher in which individual (one or following boundary condition at the end of the exit cone:
several) rotating high-order cavity modes lose their identity  
∂fs (ζ, τ ) 
and are converted into a linearly polarized Gaussian output + iks fs (ζ, τ )  = 0, (3)
∂ζ ζ =ζout
beam which is guided by means of phase correcting mirrors
to the output window. The reflected RF signal is partially where ks = 2cβ β⊥−2 ωc−1 [ω̄s 2 /c2 − χs2 (ζ )/Rcav 2
(ζ )]1/2 is the
dissipated in the entire volume of the tube and partially finds dimensionless wave number, χs is the eigenvalue of the mode,
its way back to the cavity in all possible modes. No specific and Rcav is the cavity radius.
models exist for description of these complicated processes. Theoretically reflections in the widest sense can be
In the light of this we simply assume that the reflections occur described by introducing the normalized complex reflection
just at the exit from the cavity and the entire reflected RF signal coefficient Rs :
in a specific cavity mode returns to the cavity. The reflection ∂fs /∂z + iks fs
Rs = , (4)
is described by a complex reflection coefficient; no distance ∂fs /∂z − iks fs
to the reflection point and no delay time are involved in the which for Rs = 0 reduces to the usual boundary condition (3).
theory. We now can formulate a generalized boundary condition for
the second equation of the system (1)
4. Formalism   
i ∂fs (ζ, τ )  1 − Rs
fs (ζout , τ ) =  · . (5)
Our study is based on the following system of partial ks ∂ζ ζ =ζout 1 + Rs
differential equations [13] which describe self-consistently
mode competition in gyrotrons:
5. Single-mode calculations
∂p

+ i(|p|2 − 1)p = i fs exp[i(s ζ + ψs )],
∂ζ s
We first assume that the operation parameters of the gyrotron
are such (Rel = 10 mm, I0 = 70 A, Ub = 90 kV (α = 1.3),
∂ fs
2
∂fs
−i + δs fs (1) B = 6.86 T) that a single-mode operation in the nominal
∂ζ 2 ∂τ TE−
 2π  2π 34,19 mode is ensured and pose the question how reflections
1 might influence the output power. This question can be
= Is 2 p dϑ0 exp [−i(s ζ + ψs )] dφ.
4π 0 0
conveniently answered by plotting contours of constant output
Here p is the complex transverse momentum of the electron power in the plane of the real and imaginary parts of the
normalized to its initial absolute value, ζ = (β⊥2 ωc /2β c)z reflection coefficient. Such plots are called Rieke diagrams.
is the dimensionless longitudinal coordinate, β = v /c and We solved the system of equations (1) in the single-mode
β⊥ = v⊥ /c are normalized electron velocities, c is the velocity approximation for the operating TE− 34,19 mode for many values
of light, z is the longitudinal coordinate, (ωc /2π) [GHz] = of R. On the basis of these computations we constructed the
Rieke diagram shown in figure 3. It can be seen that in the worst
28B [T]/γrel is the electron cyclotron frequency, B is
possible case when the reflection coefficient is real (poorest
the magnetic field in the resonator, γrel = 1+Ub [kV]/511 is the
phase) for obtaining high-power (Pout > 2 MW) single-
relativistic factor, Ub = Uc − Ud is the beam voltage, Uc is the
mode oscillations the condition |R| < 0.1 must be satisfied,
cathode voltage, Ud is voltage depression, s = 2β⊥−2 (ω̄s −
which means that the amount of reflected power should be less
ωc )ωc−1 is the frequency mismatch, fs (ζ, τ ) is the RF field in
than 1%.
the resonator, ψs = 8β2 β⊥−4 (ω̄s − ωc )ωc−1 τ + (1 ∓ ms )φ is
the phase of the mode, ms and φ are the azimuthal index and
1
coordinate, respectively, τ = 18 β⊥4 β−2 ωc t is the dimensionless
time, t is time, δs = 8β2 β⊥−4 [ω̄s − ωcut,s (ζ )]ωc−1 describes
0.5
variation of the cut-off frequency ωcut,s (ζ ) along the resonator 0.5
1.0
axis, ω̄s is the cut-off frequency at the exit from the resonator, 2.0
1.5
and Is is a dimensionless current which includes the RF field 2.0 2.5 0 Im{R}
and electron beam coupling
2.5

−6
Jm2 s ±1 ((2π/λs )Rel )
Is = 0.94 × 10−4 I0 β0 β⊥0 . (2) -0.5
γrel (νs2 − m2s )Jm2 s (νs )

Here I0 is the beam current in amperes, Jms is the Bessel -1

function, λs is the wavelength, Rel is the electron beam radius, -1 -0.5 0 0.5 1
and νs is the zero of the derivative of the Bessel function. Re {R}
This expression for the current is valid for conventional cavity
gyrotrons. For coaxial cavity gyrotrons it is more complicated Figure 3. Rieke diagram for the TE− 34,19 mode. The equipower lines
cover power range 0–2.5 MW in steps of 0.5 MW. There are no
(see, e.g., [8]). The subscript s refers to the sth mode. oscillations in the diagonally hatched region. The operating
The first equation in the system (1) has to be supplemented parameters are Rel = 10 mm, I0 = 70 A, Ub = 90 kV (α = 1.3),
by the initial condition p(0) = exp(iϑ0 ) with 0
ϑ0 < 2π. and B = 6.86 T.

1456
 Reflections in the coaxial gyrotron for ITER

U/kV U / kV
55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90
4000 4000

34,19
3000 3000 34,19
34,19 34,19
34,19
PRF / kW

PRF / kW
33,20 35,19
33,20
2000 33,20 2000 33,20
35,19
35,19 33,20
34,20 33,19
34,20
34,20 34,20
1000 36,19 1000

0 0
0 1000 2000 3000 0 1000 2000 3000
t/ns
t / ns
Figure 4. Mode competition scenario on the assumption that there Figure 5. Mode competition scenario in the case of reflections
are no reflections. The output power corresponding to B = 6.84 T is given by figure 2 and table 1. It was assumed that Rs = 0 for
plotted with ——, to B = 6.86 T with - - - -, and to B = 6.88 T counter-rotating modes. Other conventions are the same as in
with · · · · · ·. figure 4.

6. Mode competition calculations U / kV

55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90
The mode competition scenario for the nominal operating 4000
parameters of the gyrotron and three magnetic fields B = 6.84,
34,19
6.86, and 6.88 T without allowance for reflections is shown in 3000 34,19
34,19
figure 4. It is seen that at all magnetic field values the gyrotron
at high voltages operates in the desired TE−
33,20
PRF / kW

34,19 mode. Next 33,20

35,19

we assumed that the diamond output window is situated at the 2000

33,20
exit from the cavity and performed the calculations with real 34,20
reflection coefficients listed in table 1. Here it was assumed 1000
34,20

that R = 0 for counter-rotating modes, because these modes

diverge from the quasi-optical mode converter designed for co-
rotating modes. The results of these calculations are presented 0
0 1000 2000 3000
in figure 5. It is seen that at lower magnetic fields B = 6.84 and
t / ns
6.86 T the gyrotron oscillates in the desired mode, while at the
highest magnetic field B = 6.88 T gyrotron oscillates in the Figure 6. Mode competition scenario in the case of reduced
parasitic TE−33,19 mode delivering significantly smaller output reflections (|Rs | → |Rs |/2). Other conventions are the same as in
power. The calculations were repeated with half of the values figures 4 and 5.
of the reflection coefficients for co-rotating modes listed in
table 1, which corresponds to reduction of the reflected power References
by a factor of 4. The results of these calculations are shown in
figure 6. It is seen that at high voltages for all three magnetic [1] Piosczyk B. et al 1997 IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci. 25 460
[2] Piosczyk B. et al 1998 IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci. 26 393
field values the gyrotron oscillates in the desired mode.
[3] Piosczyk B. et al 1999 IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci. 27 484
[4] Piosczyk B. et al 2000 IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci. 28 918
7. Conclusions [5] Piosczyk B. et al 2002 IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci. 30 819
[6] Piosczyk B. et al 2002 22nd Symp. Fusion Technology
The influence of reflections on the operation of the coaxial (Helsinki, 2002) Book of Abstracts (Espoo: Otamedia Oy)
p 180
cavity gyrotron for ITER has been studied. It has been found [7] Dumbrajs O. 2003 ITER ECRF Advanced Source
that Development. Coaxial Cavity Gyrotron. Report on the
Selection of Operating Mode Association Euratom-Tekes,
• the gyrotron is sufficiently robust against possible
February 2003
frequency-independent reflections of RF power, [8] Dumbrajs O., Glyavin M.Yu., Zapevalov V.E. and
• the amount of reflected power should not exceed 1%, Zavolsky N.A. 2000 IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci. 28 588
• the designed diamond window is such that it assures [9] Borie E. 2001 IEEE Trans. Microwave Theory Technol. 49
single-mode operation of the gyrotron in the desired 1342
[10] Grudiev A., Jelonnek J. and Schünemann K. 2001 Phys.
TE−34,19 mode even if it were placed just at the exit from Plasmas 8 2963
the cavity. [11] Grudiev A. and Schünemann K. 2003 Int. J. Infrared Millim.
The difficult question of a complete modelling of reflections in Waves 24 429
[12] Airila M.I., Dumbrajs O., Reinfelds A. and Strautiņš U. 2001
a gyrotron with a radial RF output, i.e. without the assumption Phys. Plasmas 8 4608
that the reflections occur just at the exit from the cavity, is [13] Zavolsky N.A., Nusinovich G.S. and Pavelyev A.B. 1989
beyond the scope of this investigation. Gyrotrons (Gorky: Academy of Sciences of USSR) p 84

1457

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