- A magnetron is an electric device that produces microwave energy by converting electrical energy to radio frequency energy. It is commonly used as the heating element in modern microwave ovens.
- A magnetron is a type of diode, a special type of vacuum tube that converts low voltage electrical energy to high voltage, then to radio frequency energy. A magnetron contains a central cylindrical cathode within a thick cylinder that forms an anode shell. Along the inside of the shell are resonance chambers with openings. Top and bottom plates seal the cylinder, which is then placed within a powerful magnet.
- When the cathode is heated, it gives off large amounts of negatively-charged electrons, which the positively-charged anode will attract. This process converts and steps up the low-voltage AC current, used to heat the cathode, to high-voltage DC current that flows within the magnetron chamber.
- The flow of this current is controlled by the strong magnetic field. As the electrons flow within the vacuum, the resonance chambers within the walls of the anode emit very high frequency energy in the form of a microwave field. This energy is then collected by an antenna and sent through a wave guide, a type of tube that directs it with little or no loss. The energy is then directed to another antenna that transmits the microwaves.
