Low-jitter, High-voltage, Infrared, Laser-triggered, Vacuum Switch

A laser-triggered, high-voltage vacuum switch using a triggering pellet embedded in the cathode has been developed. The switch was constructed with tungsten electrodes and used either KCI or Poco graphite pellets. An aperture in the anode allowed the laser beam to strike the pellet on the cathode surface. Reliable triggering was achieved with only 200 /spl mu/J of laser energy at a wavelength of 1064 nm. The switch was operated with an A-K gap voltage ranging from 5- to 30-kV with switching currents up to 15 kA peak. The delay time of the switch varied from 70 /spl plusmn/ 3 ns at 25 kV to 500 /spl plusmn/ 100 ns at 5 kV.