Switching Characteristics of Large-Aperture Electro-Optical Switches With Plasma Electrodes Part I—Model

Optical switches with plasma-electrode Pockels cells (PEPCs) are important elements for large-aperture multipass laser amplifiers in inertial-confinement fusion. In this paper, we present a fluid model for a one-pulse process of the PEPC, in which the preionization discharge and the stable discharge plasma are achieved in one pulse. Multiple species including electrons, atomic ions, molecular ions, excited atoms and excited molecules and the energy exchange between the electrons and other species are considered in the model. Under the same condition of discharge, the calculation for two-specie and five-species are implemented and the results showed that the density of electrons in the stable glow discharge of the PEPC by the model of five species is 2%~3% higher than that of the two species model.