Diamond switch RF pulse compression for high power microwave generation

Summary form only given. We report on work in developing a light activated diamond window for active pulse compression in an X-band RF system for application in the Next Linear Collider (NLC). Previous work investigated the use of type IIa diamonds using UV laser sources with photon energies approaching that of the band gap, /spl sim/5.5 eV. That work demonstrated controlled diamond conductivity turn-on and -off consistent with the nanosecond rise and fall time of the laser pulse, implying a <1 ns lifetime associated with the conduction electrons produced by the laser pulse. The observed lifetime and empirically determined cross-section for the production of the conduction electrons by the lasers has proven impracticable at this time for obtaining both the level of conductivity and on-times for the NLC applications.