PFNs switched with SCRs at 15 kV, 225 J, and 100 Hz rep-rate

Recent innovations in high power SCRs, employed for switching high voltage and high di/dt current pulses, show applications in high-power laser systems. The use of stacked SCRs opens the field for the replacement of thyratrons or spark gaps by high current thyristors (HCTs). At the DLR, the development of a high power CO₂-laser with an average output power of more than 10 kW has recently been accomplished. The developed electron beam sustained CO₂-laser system requires an external preionization of the laser gas, which is done with the use of a cold cathode electron beam accelerator (e-beam). This paper presents the experimental results of a stack of 4 SCRs used as the electrical switch for the electron beam accelerator of the high power CO₂-laser. The requirements for the switch of the electron beam accelerator are: 15 kV loading voltage; 225 J stored PFN pulse energy; time dependent electron beam accelerator load from kΩ to a few 100 Ω; 10 μs pulse duration; and 100 Hz repetition rate