Large-aperture electrooptical switches with plasma electrodes

Longitudinal Pockels´ cells with large apertures and high aspect ratios can be designed utilizing a low-pressure glow discharge as a transparent electrode medium. With such plasma electrodes, we have constructed a Pockels´ cell with a clear aperture of 26 × 26 cm. We present here the results of a parametric study of this device, a detailed engineering model for the optical performance with plasma electrodes, and considerations for scaling the device to the large apertures (1-3 m) which are of interest to high-energy laser systems for inertial confinement fusion.