The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science has funded the construction of a new accelerator-based neutron source, the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS), which is expected to provide the most intense pulsed neutron beams in the world for scientific research and industrial development. Communications and Power Industries, Inc. Microwave Power Products Division (CPI-MPP) has been engaged in the development of suitable high power, pulsed klystron amplifiers for use in energizing this new accelerator system. 

Performance data for the VKP-8290A klystron will be presented. This first klystron, developed by CPI-MPP for the SNS, produced greater than 2.5-MW of peak output power at 805 MHz with a 10 percent duty factor. The gain was greater than 45-dB with a dc to rf conversion efficiency greater than 55 percent.

CPI-MPP is currently engaged in the development of the VKP-8291A klystron. This device will produce a minimum of 550-kW of peak output power at 805 MHz with an 8 percent duty factor. The gain will be greater than 50-dB with a dc to rf conversion efficiency greater than 65 percent.

A discussion of the technical development and manufacturing issues will be presented, as well as a discussion of several other high power klystrons and vacuum barrier windows being developed for the SNS system.