Baruch Levush

Baruch Levush received his M.Sc (Physics) degree from Latvian University in Riga, Latvia in 1972. In 1973 he immigrated to Israel where he carried out his Ph.D work in plasma physics at Tel-Aviv University. Upon completing his Ph.D research in 1981, he received the Dr. Chaim Weizmann Postdoctoral Fellowship and spent several years as a post-doctoctoral fellow at the University of Maryland (UMD) – College Park. He joined the Institute for Plasma Research (IPR) at the UMD as a Research Scientist in 1985. After a decade at the IPR, Dr. Levush joined Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) as the Head of the Theory and Design Section of the Vacuum Electronics Branch, Electronics Science and Technology Division. In 2003 he became a Head of the Vacuum Electronics Branch.

Dr. Levush’s research involves coherent radiation generation using electron beams. Early in his career, he focused on developing theories and computational models of the nonlinear interaction of electromagnetic modes in free electron lasers and gyro-devices. In his current research, Dr. Levush is actively involved in developing theoretical models and computational tools for analyzing the operation of vacuum electron devices and in inventing new concepts for high power amplifiers that operate at frequencies ranging from 1 to 1000 GHz.

In 1997, Dr. Levush became responsible for developing a suite of new design codes for vacuum electron devices under the auspices of the Office of Naval Research. The simulation tools pioneered by his research team have been universally adopted by the vacuum electronics industry, and are used prolifically in support of new vacuum electron device development at the NRL, industry, small business and academia. He is a Fellow of IEEE since 2001 and has received numerous awards, including the Robert L. Woods Award of the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) for his role in the successful development of a 10kW average power, W-band gyro-klystron (1999), the NRL Award of Merit for Group Achievement as part of the 94 GHz Radar Team (2002), the R&D100 Award for MICHELLE, a 3D Charge-Particle-Beam Optics software tool (2006), the IEEE International Vacuum Electronics Conference Award (2007), the NRL‘s E.O. Hulburt Annual Science Award (2007), the Navy Captain Robert Dexter Conrad Award for scientific achievement (2009) and IEEE Electron Device Society J.J. Ebers Award (2009).

Ivec Award for Excellence in Vacuum Electronics 2007

For pioneering contributions to the development of advance models and design tools for vacuum electronic devices and for visionary leadership in the vacuum electronics industry.

NRL’s Vacuum Electronics Branch is the principal center for vacuum electronics research and development in the U.S. Dr. Levush frequently provides advisory services to support external research programs in vacuum electronics. He is the co-author of more than 170 refereed journal articles and was selected IEEE Nuclear Plasma Science Society Distinguished Lecturer.

baruch.levush@nrl.navy.mil