Nonlinear pulsed power technology: shock-waves and solitons

The author describes what appears to be a new method for the shaping of high power electrical pulses. The technique used is, in simple terms, the dielectric equivalent of magnetic pulse sharpening in which nonlinear capacitors or dielectric materials replace the saturable inductors or magnetic materials commonly used in magnetic pulse compression circuits or shock-lines. The nonlinear capacitors or dielectrics are composed of ferroelectric ceramic materials whose dielectric constants are strongly dependent on applied voltage stress. From the experiments that are described, it has become apparent that this technique may have some important advantages over its magnetic equivalent. However it has become clear that if these advantages are to be fully realised, some development of the properties of the nonlinear dielectric materials currently being used will be needed