Driving Pockels cells using avalanche transistor pulsers

The purpose of this paper is to describe the current state of avalanche transistor-based Pockels cell driver development at LLNL and to provide the reader with a set of useful design guidelines. A general description of the units is followed by a short section on the circuit design of avalanche transistor pulsers. Techniques for delivering either 1/4 or 1/2 wave voltages to a Pockels cell are covered. Recently these units have been modified for use at repetition rates up to 10 kHz. Operating at high repetition rates presents problems for both the driver and the Pockels cell. Design solutions for the pulser are presented as well as a discussion of Pockels cell acoustic resonance.