New Lab-Funded Magnetron May Help Defeat Enemy Electronics

  • Published
  • By Maria Callier
  • Office of Scientific Research
ARLINGTON, Virginia --  Air Force Research Laboratory-funded researchers at the University of Michigan invented a new type of magnetron that may be used in defeating enemy electronics. A vital component of military radar systems since World War II, a magnetron is a kind of vacuum tube that serves as the frequency source in microwave ovens, radar systems, and other high-power microwave circuits. The newly devised technology--which is more compact, exhibits faster start-up, and demonstrates higher peak and average power than current devices--should enable higher-power, higher-frequency operation and, thus, improved potential for jamming and defeat of adversarial systems.

While basic magnetron design has changed little over time, the UM researchers were able to exploit established plasma physics principles in conjunction with innovative geometry to overcome the physical limitations of standard magnetrons, and in doing so, they successfully revolutionized both conventional and inverted design variations. By expanding negatively charged electrode (cathode) and positively charged electrode areas, the team produced a new device that, while more compact than current designs, permits higher currents and supplies a larger area for heat dissipation. This advance has a significant impact on Air Force radar capabilities, with the technology's higher frequencies promising improved radar resolution and its compact packaging encouraging airborne applications. Ultimately, the UM team intends to explore both a high-power version of the new magnetron and a separate, higher-frequency (i.e., millimeter-wave) embodiment.

Led by UM professors Dr. Ron Gilgenbach and Dr. Y. Y. Lau, the team--which also includes members Brad Hoff (formerly of UM, now of AFRL), David French, and John Luginsland (NumerEx)--has long been a mainstay of AFRL's high-power microwave research. Internationally recognized for its scientific accomplishments, the UM group serves as an example for academia as a whole, working to establish active collaborations with AFRL counterparts and, consequently, providing a steady stream of graduates to further the realm of AF high-power microwave expertise.