Rosa Letizia

Nanoscale Surface Roughness Effects on THz Vacuum Electron Device Performance

Vacuum electron devices are the most promising solution for the generation of watt-level power at millimeter wave and terahertz frequencies. However, the three-dimensional nature of metal structures required to provide an effective interaction between an electron beam and THz signal poses significant fabrication challenges. At increasing frequency, losses present a serious detrimental effect on performance. In particular, the skin depth, on the order of one hundred nanometers or less, constrains the maximum acceptable surface roughness of the metal surfaces to be below those values. Microfabrication techniques have proven, in principle, to achieve values of surface roughness at the nanometer scale; however, the use of different metals and affordable microfabrication techniques requires further investigation for a repeatable quality of the metal surfaces. This paper compares, for the first time, the nanoscale surface roughness of metal THz waveguides realized by the main microfabrication techniques. In particular, two significant examples are considered: a 0.346-THz backward wave tube oscillator and a 0.263-THz traveling wave tube.

THz Backward-Wave Oscillators for Plasma Diagnostic in Nuclear Fusion

Understanding of the anomalous transport attributed to short-scale length microturbulence through collective scattering diagnostics is key to the development of nuclear fusion energy. Signals in the subterahertz (THz) range (0.1-0.8 THz) with adequate power are required to map wider wavenumber regions. The progress of a joint international effort devoted to the design and realization of novel backward-wave oscillators at 0.346 THz and above with output power in the 1 W range is reported herein. The novel sources possess desirable characteristics to replace the bulky, high maintenance, optically pumped far-infrared lasers so far utilized in this plasma collective scattering diagnostic. The formidable fabrication challenges are described. The future availability of the THz source here reported will have a significant impact in the field of THz applications both for scientific and industrial applications, to provide the output power at THz so far not available.

Photonic Crystal-Structures for THz Vacuum Electron Devices

The technology of photonic crystals (PhCs) is investigated here to improve the performance of THz vacuum electron devices. Compared with conventional metallic waveguides, the PhC arrangement alleviates typical issues in THz vacuum electron tubes, i.e. difficult vacuum pumping process and assembling, and improves the input/output coupling. A slow-wave structure (SWS) based on a corrugated waveguide assisted by PhC lateral walls and the efficient design of a PhC coupler for sheet-beam interaction devices are demonstrated. Based on the proposed technology, a backward-wave oscillator (BWO) is designed in this paper. Cold parameters of the novel PhC SWS as well as 3-D particle-in-cell simulations of the overall BWO are investigated, obtaining more than 70-mW-peak output power at 0.650 THz for beam voltage of 11 kV and beam current of 6 mA.

THz backward-wave oscillators for plasma diagnostic in nuclear fusion

Summary form only given. The understanding of plasma turbulence in nuclear fusion is related to the availability of powerful THz sources and the possibility to map wider plasma regions. A novel approach to realize compact THz sources to be implemented in the plasma diagnostic at NSTX experiment (Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, USA) is reported.Two novel 0.346 THz Backward-Wave Oscillators (BWOs) have been designed and are presently in the fabrication phase. One BWO is based on the Double Staggered Grating (DSG) that supports a sheet electron beam to provide a high output power; the second BWO is based on the Double Corrugated Waveguide (DCW) that supports a cylindrical electron beam generated by a conventional Pierce gun. The performance of both the BWOs was computed by Particle-in-cells (PIC) simulations. The DSG-BWO provides about 1W of output power with a beam current of 10 mA and a beam voltage of 16.8 kV. The DCW-BWO provides 0.74W output power with 10 mA beam current and 13 kV beam voltage. The DSG and the DCW have been realized by state of the art prototype nano-CNC milling machine (DMG Mori-Seiki) that permits one to achieve performance, in term of cost and surface finishing, unavailable with any other technology. It is the first time that this technique is applied to structures above 0.3 THz. The high output power of both the BWOs demonstrates the importance of novel approaches in the emerging field of THz vacuum electron devices.

Millimeter wave wireless system based on point to multipoint transmissions

The continuously growing traffic demand has motivated the exploration of underutilized millimeter wave frequency spectrum for future mobile broadband communication networks. Research activities focus mainly on the use of the V-band (59 - 64 GHz) and E-band (71 - 76 & 81 - 84 GHz) to offer multi-gigabit point to point transmissions. This paper describes an innovative W-band (92-95 GHz) point to multipoint wireless network for high capacity access and backhaul applications. Point to multipoint wireless networks suffer from limited RF power available. The proposed network is based on a high power, wide band traveling wave tube of new generation and an affordable high performance transceiver. These new devices enable a new transmission paradigm and overcome the relevant technological challenges imposed by the high atmosphere attenuation and the presently lack of power amplification required to provide adequate coverage at millimeter waves.

W-band TWTs for new generation high capacity wireless networks

The congestion of the spectrum actually devoted to wireless networks has stimulated the exploitation of the wide availability of frequencies in the millimeter wave range. The high atmospheric attenuation and the strong detrimental rain effect require level of power not available by solid state power amplifiers typically used at microwave frequency. The lack of power has so far limited the use of millimeter wave range. The massive use of Traveling Wave Tubes as power amplifier in high capacity wireless networks will be the breakthrough in the development of the future millimeter wave network fundamental for the 5G development. The H2020 TWEETHER project aims at a new wireless network concept based on TWTs to distribute data in the millimeter wave portion of the spectrum.

Design and fabrication of a sheet beam BWO at 346 GHz

Applications such as fusion diagnostics, imaging and security systems require high frequency sources. As part of a joint international effort regarding novel THz BWOs, a double staggered grating sheet beam BWO at 346 GHz is underdevelopment and being fabricated. Design work has been done on various components, with nano machining and cold testing of the slow wave structure completed.

Investigation of CSRR loaded waveguide for accelerator applications

In this paper, a design for a metamaterial loaded rectangular metal waveguide is investigated for applications in accelerators and as a coherent radiation sources. The loaded waveguide structure is designed to operate between 4 GHz and 6 GHz, with optimal operation at 5.47 GHz. The metallic waveguide structure is loaded with sheets of complementary split ring resonators (CSRRs), which act like narrow patterned waveguides, confining the transverse magnetic (TM) modes which gives rise to left handed behaviour. Numerical simulations of the resulting electromagnetic modes within the structure are reported and analytical calculations of the beam coupling parameters performed. A TM-like mode is identified at 5.47 GHz for a phase advance of 10◦ and through analytical analysis is shown to have an R/Q of 26.40 W and a shunt impedance of 43.76 kW and thus is suitable for applications in acceleration and Cherenkov based detectors.

Efficient Second Harmonic Generation Through Selective Photonic Crystal-Microcavity Coupling

In this paper, a new 2-D frequency converter based on second harmonic generation (SHG) in GaAs photonic crystal waveguides is proposed. The input waveguide, where the second order nonlinear process takes place, is coupled to a secondary waveguide that is designed to allow only SH propagation. A row of photonic crystal microcavity resonators is then placed parallel to the waveguides in order to assist the field coupling. By tuning the resonance of the microcavities at second harmonic wave, the waveguides-microcavities arrangement showed good enhancement of conversion efficiency and selectivity. The performance of the proposed frequency converter has been analyzed by using multiresolution time domain (MRTD) scheme developed for nonlinear problems in conjunction with uniaxial perfectly matched layer (UPML) boundary conditions that rigorously truncate the computational window.

Horizon 2020 TWEETHER project for W-band high data rate wireless communications

The outstanding demand of high data rate in wireless network is exceeding the actual capacity making the microwave region of the spectrum inadequate for the future needs. The millimeter wave region has been demonstrated suitable for multi-gigabit transmission. Unfortunately, technological issues still prevent its adequate exploitation. The Horizon 2020 TWEETHER project “Traveling wave tube for W-band wireless networks with high data rate distribution, spectrum and energy efficiency” aims to respond to this challenge. A novel W-band traveling wave tube will be the core of the system.