High-power solid-state rf source for accelerator cavities

During the past few years the Defense and Electronics Center of Westinghouse Electric Corporation has developed a solid state, 250 kW peak, RF amplifier was developed for use with SPS-40 radar system. This system has a pulse length of 60 (MU)s and operates across the frequency band from 400 to 450 MHz. Because of the potential use of such a system as an RF source for accelerator applications, a collaborative experiment was initiated between Los Alamos National Laboratory and Westinghouse to simulate the resonant load conditions of an accelerator cavity. This paper describes the positive results of that experiment as well as the solid state amplifier architecture. It also explores the future of high power, solid state amplifiers as RF sources for accelerator structures.