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High-Power Microwave Switch Employing Electron Beam Triggering

Award Information
Agency: Department of Energy
Branch: N/A
Contract: DE-FG02-08ER85206
Agency Tracking Number: N/A
Amount: $100,000.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: 50 b
Solicitation Number: DE-PS02-07ER07-36
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2008
Award Year: 2008
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): N/A
Award End Date (Contract End Date): N/A
Small Business Information
258 Bradley Street
New Haven, CT 06510
United States
DUNS: 084736651
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Jay Hirshfield
 Dr.
 (203) 789-1164
 jay@omega-p.com
Business Contact
 George Trahan
Title: Dr.
Phone: (203) 789-1165
Email: trahan@omega-p.com
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

Development of accelerator structures that can sustain acceleration gradients in the range of 150 MeV/m will be required for the construction of a future multi-TeV collider with energies that exceed present or planned electron-positron colliders. However, the high-power facilities needed to test these structures do not generate sufficiently-high peak powers; therefore, RF pulse compressors are needed to provide power multiplication. So far, active RF pulse compressors have been limited in peak power due to RF breakdown, mainly on the surfaces of non-metallic elements within the active switches. This project introduces the concept of a high-power RF switch, in which the active element is a pulsed electron beam. This feature should allow the switch to operate at higher peak power levels than for prior RF switches, because no insulating elements are present within the switch. Low power switches based on this principle will be optimized and tested during Phase I at 11.4 and/or 34.3 GHz; a high power version will be tested during Phase II. Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee: The development of structures that can sustain high accelerating gradients without an undue frequency of breakdown should accelerate the construction of the multi-TeV collider.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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