Solid-state pulsed-power systems for the Next Linear Collider

The Next Generation Linear Collider (NLC) represents a significant challenge for high voltage modulator technology. The 3200 X-band klystrons that provide RF for the accelerator require 500kV, 265A, and pulses of 1-5μs. Given the large number of klystron modulators required, small improvements in modulator efficiency, reliability, and maintainability have significant life-cycle cost impacts. In 1999, Diversified Technologies, Inc. (DTI) was awarded three Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) grants from the Department of Energy to assess solid-state switching technology for the NLC. These efforts are focused on three modulator configurations: a hybrid modulator, which uses a switch and a pulse transformer, a hard switch, and a Marx bank. This paper describes the architecture, trade-offs, and progress in the development of these solid-state designs, at approximately the midpoint in their development