Operation of a magnetized diode as a fast opening switch: experiment and theory

A planar electron-beam diode with a strong magnetic field imposed normal to the electrode surfaces is found to operate as a fast opening switch when the electric field of the cathode is artificially enhanced with an array of needles as the emitting structure. Conduction times of hundreds of nanoseconds and voltages of order 400 kV are routinely achieved with this switch. Data from experiments using two different pulsed power drivers are presented along with a simple 1-D model to provide one possible mechanism to explain this observed behavior