An ultrafast probe for high-voltage pulsed measurements

This paper presents the latest stage in the development of a high-voltage electro-optic voltage probe, intended for use in a wide range of fast pulsed-power applications for which more conventional probes are unsuitable. The 500 kV voltage to be measured is attenuated by a special purpose capacitive voltage divider, before being fed to a Pockels cell. The cell also receives light from a laser, and this is modulated by the output of the voltage divider before the emerging signal is converted into electrical form and recorded on a digital storage oscilloscope. Experimental results shown in the paper confirm the fast response and high-voltage capabilities of the probe.