Linear analysis of a multibeam cyclotron-resonance maser array

The multibeam cyclotron-resonance maser (CRM) array is a new concept for compact, high-power CRM devices operating at low voltages. The CRM array studied in this paper employs low-energy electron beams, which are propagating in coupled channels in a two-dimensional periodic waveguide. A static magnetic field spirals the electrons in synchronism with a spatial harmonic of the electromagnetic wave. A matrix gain-dispersion equation of the CRM-array interaction is derived in the paper. Numerical examples are presented for a comparison between CRM interactions of one, two, and three electron beams with various waveguide modes. The analysis shows that the multibeam cyclotron interaction yields a considerable gain of microwaves in selective modes.