Production of Electronic Oscillations with a Two-Electrode Valve

Abstract

IN 1920, Barkhausen and Kurz discovered that an ordinary three-electrode valve could be made to give rise to oscillations of very high frequency (greater than 3 × 108 cycles per second) if the grid was maintained at a relatively high positive potential while the anode was made slightly negative with respect to the filament. The explanation for the occurrence of such oscillations appears to be that a condition of negative resistance is possible when the electrons are given a to and fro motion within the valve. It occurred to me some time ago that such a vibratory motion of electrons should be obtainable from a two-electrode valve of special design but circumstances prevented the construction of the valve until recently.