A test facility for PCSS triggered pulsed power switches

The cost and complexity of pulsed power systems continue to increase as researchers strive for more precise control and flexibility. Systems with large numbers of switches or large numbers of switch trigger times result in the need for more cost effective high performance triggering systems. This need can be addressed by photoconductive semiconductor switches (PCSS) that have demonstrated sub-nanosecond jitter with up to 300kV switches. Previous work has motivated continued research into the trigger system parameters that allow for reliable cost effective operation.