Experimental results of the generation of microwaves from a static electric field by an ionization front in a gas-filled capacitor array
- Univ. of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA (United States)
- Univ. of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States)
Experimental results of the generation of electromagnetic radiation from a gas-filled, laser-ionized capacitor array will be presented. Within the capacitor array, an alternating static electric field ({omega} = 0) with a specific spatial wavenumber (k = k{sub 0}) is established when a voltage is applied. The electromagnetic radiation is generated by upshifting this static electric field to a frequency of {omega} = {omega}{sub p}{sup 2}/2k{sub 0}c by temporally varying the dielectric properties of the gas medium with an ionization front. The ionization front is created by the propagation of a high-power short-duration laser pulse in the gas. The frequency of the radiation can be tuned by either the gas density and/or the capacitors spacing. This scheme has been called an electromagnetic accordion because the static electric field is squeezed into a shorter but similar propagating waveform. The device can potentially provide coherent pulses of high-power (MW) radiation that can be tuned over orders of magnitude in frequency. In this presentation a brief theoretical review is given, followed by the experimental results. In the proof-of-principle experiment, microwave radiation in the range of 6 to 21 GHz has been detected. Status of some improved designs for future research is presented. These designs will incorporate waveguide structures in various geometries.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG03-92ER40745
- OSTI ID:
- 428013
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-960634--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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