Study of Electron Instabilities in Crossed Electric and Magnetic Fields

In the research of Cross Field Devices we observe the behavior of injected electrons within a planar crossed-field structure. The objective is to design and implement electronics to drive the Gated Field Emission Arrays (fabricated at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology) that are used to generate up to 150 mA of electron current into our structure. In preparation for testing, an isolation box is assembled to ensure high voltage safety. This requires testing of a previously designed Opto-Coupler circuit board to ensure hardware protection. Another previously designed circuit that must be implemented is an ARC detection circuit to monitor discharges in the Gated Field Emitters and ensure a system shut down to prevent further damage.The future applications of this research will assist with development of high power microwave amplifiers and oscillator used in radar and communication systems.