ABSTRACT
Crossed-field devices generate microwave energy by tapping the kinetic energy of electrons drifting perpendicularly to electric and magnetic fields that are oriented at right angles to one another (hence the term crossed-field). This arrangement prevents breakdown of the anode-cathode (A-K) gap, confines the electrons within an interaction region, and aligns the electron velocities with the electromagnetic waves. These devices include the relativistic magnetron, a high-voltage, high-current version of the well-known conventional magnetron; the magnetically insulated line oscillator (MILO), a linear magnetron variant that was invented to take advantage of the very high current capacity of modern pulsed power systems; the crossed-field amplifier (CFA), an amplifying, rather than oscillating, near cousin of the magnetron that has been explored, but not exploited, as a high power source; and the recent entry of the recirculating planar magnetron (RPM).1
