A miniaturized spark gap switch in the regime of high repetition rate

We are interested to develop a high power pulse generator using a minimum volume of high pressure spark gap switch for ultra wideband (UWB) application. The technology of the spark gap switch, which is integrated in a coaxial transmission line structure of 50 Ω impedance, is described in this paper. Discharge parameters such as gas type, gas pressure and inter-electrode gap distance are optimized to influence the rise time and the pulse repetition rate (PRR) of the spark gap. The output current pulses are several amperes through a matched load, lasting about a nanosecond and having a rise time of a few hundred picoseconds. Of primary motivation is the desirable repetition rate of the current pulses in excess of a MHz.