Klystron
A klystron is a linear-beam vacuum tube which functions as an amplifier, for fairly high frequency electro-magnetic radiation, such as microwaves. As an amplifier, it can be configured as a fairly powerful oscillator, useable as a transmitter.
In early radar work, it was replaced in that role by the cavity magnetron, but klystrons were much used in receivers, in their amplifier guise. Magnetrons are no longer favoured in that role, as their output frequency is too variable; improved klystrons have taken back over.
The klystron was invented in 1937 by Russell and Sigurd Varian (the former the idea man of the pair; the latter the fabricator). They later set up Varian Associates to produce klystrons, now seen as one of the founding events of Silicon Valley.
External links
- Invention of the Klystron (archived here)
- Klystron Amplifier (archived here)
