Characteristics of a Reex Klystron tube

Ronak M Soni and S. Prasanth 2 Year, BSc.(Hons.) in Physics, Chennai Mathematical Institute
nd

Aim

To study the dependence of microwave power output and frequency of an X-band reex Klystron an the repeller voltage and to plot mode diagrams.

Apparatus
1. Reex Klystron apparatus. 2. Oscillscope. 3. Fan.

Theory

The reex Klystron is a microwave oscillator consisting of an electron gun, a cavity surrounded by a coiled wire called the resonator and a negative potential electrode called the repeller. Electrons passing through the resonator induce a current in the wire that causes a magnetic eld that alternately speeds up and slows down the passing electrons, causing the output to look like waves. Each cluster of electrons is called a cleetron bunch. Since the repeller is at a negative potential, electrons are reected back and this also induces current in the wire around the resonator. This new current might reinforce or destroy the original bunching depending on whether its in phase or out of phase with the original current. It can be shown that resonance will occur when the transit time of the electrons t0 (time taken to go from the gun and reach back) is 3 t0 = (n + )T 4 (1)

where T is the timeperiod of the resonator waveform (which is used to generate microwaves) and n is a natural number. As can be seen, more than one value of repeller voltage will cause resonance one corresponding to every value of n and each one is called a mode of operation. The power output v/s repeller voltage in various modes graph is called the reex Klystron mode curve or the mode characteristic.

Utilities

The reex Klystron has been mostly replaced by more portable, semiconductor-based devices, but in its heyday it was used mainly for two things: 1. It is used for automatic frequency control in radio receivers. 2. It is also used for frequency modulation in transmitters.

Procedure
1. Before switching on, the repeller voltage and beam voltage knobs were put at middle position. 2. The apparatus and the cooling fan (to cool the electron gun) were switched on. 1

3. The repeller voltage VR was set to a value between 70 V and 100 V and the beam voltage VB was set to 270 V . 4. The mode of the apparatus was set to internal amplitude modulation. 5. The beam current IB was checked and it was veried that it was between 5 mA and 30 mA. 6. VR was varied by small amounts till the height of the square wave output was maximum. 7. The attenuation was increased till the square waves became reasonably noise-free. 8. The frequency meter was turned till there was a dip in the power output. The frequency f measured was the frequency of the microwave output. 9. The height of the waves V0 was noted. 10. The last two steps were repeated for as many dierent values of VR as possible (no two readings were taken in any given range of VR unless there was a zero output in between, so readings were only taken at the best resonance points). 11. Graphs of f v/s VR and V0 v/s VR were drawn.

Observations

Beam Current IB = 25.4 mA. Repeller Voltage VR /V 68 111 148 Output Voltage V0 /mV 1.0 1.5 2.0 Frequency f 902.0 901.5 901.0

Result

Both output voltage and frequency were seen to be proportional to the repeller voltage.