Nonlinear characteristics of a coaxial-waveguide cyclotron autoresonance maser (CARM) amplifier

A detailed model of nonlinear self-consistent simulation for a coaxial-waveguide cyclotron autoresonance maser amplifier is presented to analyse the nonlinear characteristics of the device. Mode spectrums in cylindrical-waveguide and coaxial-waveguide are analysed. The effects of the electron-beam velocity spread and the misalignment between the electron-beam axis and the waveguide axis on the characteristics of the device are investigated and found to be detrimental to the power and efficiency. Specific simulations show that the output power and the efficiency drop from 493.4 kW and 10.97% to 382.33 kW and 8.5% when the axial velocity spread is 1% and decrease to 3.33% efficiency at 0.1 cm misalignment. However, the use of a tapering guide magnetic field with a slope e = −0.001 cm−1 and the starting position z = 25 cm may enhance the power and efficiency to 1.84 MW and 40.82%, respectively.