travelling wave tube amplifier (TWTA)

A Travelling Wave Tube Amplifier (TWTA) is an RF power amplifier with a travelling wave tube.

The frequency range amplified by TWTA amplifiers covers frequencies from about 300 MHz up to 50 GHz, and thus can be used in all microwave bands. As broadband microwave amplifiers, TWTA amplifiers can certainly amplify frequency ranges of one octave. In addition to the broadband ones, there are also tunable narrowband TWTAs. The amplifications are up to 60 dB, the transmitting powers up to 15 kW.

Travelling wave amplifiers are used as transmit amplifiers in satellite communications, both in the satellite and in the ground station.