The Next Linear Collider Test Accelerator's RF Pulse Compression And Transmission

The overmoded rf transmission and pulsed power compression system for SLAC's Next Linear Collider (NLC) program requires a high degree of transmission efficiency and mode purity to be economically feasible. To this end, a number of new, high power components and systems have been developed at X-band, which transmit rf power in the low loss, circular TE01 mode with negligible mode conversion. In addition, a highly efficient SLED-II* pulse compressor has been developed and successfully tested at high power. The system produced a 200 MW, 250 ns wide pulse with a near-perfect flat-top. In this paper we describe the design and test results of the high power pulse compression system using SLED-II. The NLC rf systems use low loss highly over-moded circular waveguides operating in the TE01 mode. The efficiency of the systems is sensitive to the mode purity of the mode excited inside these guides. We used the so called flower petal mode transducer [2] to excite the TE01 mode. This type of mode transducer is efficient, compact and capable of handling high levels of power. To make more efficient systems, we modified this device by adding several mode selective chokes to act as mode purifiers. To manipulate themore » rf signals we used these modified mode converters to convert back and forth between over-moded circular waveguides and single-moded WR90 rectangular waveguides. Then, we used the relatively simple rectangular waveguide components to do the actual manipulation of rf signals. For example, two mode transducers and a mitered rectangular waveguide bend comprise a 90 degree bend. Also, a magic tee and four mode transducers would comprise a four-port-hybrid, etc. We will discuss the efficiency of an rf transport system based on the above methodology. We also used this methodology in building the SLEDII pulse compression system. At SLAC we built 4 of these pulse systems. In this paper we describe the SLEDII system and compare the performance of these 4 systems at SLAC. We report the experimental procedures used to measure their performance as well as the results of high power tests.« less