Patent ID: 7230384

Claim:
A traveling wave tube (TWT) for amplification of a radio frequency (RF) signal, the TWT comprising: an envelope for maintaining a hermetically-sealed environment, the envelope includes at least an electron gun and a collector; a helix-type slow-wave structure disposed within the envelope; a rigid coaxial cable having an inner conductor, a solid conductive sheath, and a dielectric disposed between at least a portion of the inner conductor and the solid conductive sheath, a first end of the inner conductor is electrically coupled to an end of the helix-type slow-wave structure in the envelope; and a hermetically-sealed RF connector coupled to a second end of the inner conductor and a corresponding end of the solid conductor sheath; the envelope that maintains a sealed environment, wherein an interior of the envelope houses at least the helix-type slow-wave structure, and wherein at least portions of the solid sheaths for the rigid coaxial cable is disposed outside the sealed environment of the envelope and are hermetically sealed to a surface of the envelope.