Photonic-crystal-fiber-delivered laser-triggered high-voltage gas switch

DWPI Title: Laser triggered high voltage gas switch includes fiber delivery system that is used for delivering laser trigger to the anode-cathode gap, and which has hollow core photonic crystal fiber
Abstract: A photonic-crystal-fiber-delivered laser-triggered high-voltage gas switch can deliver a peak irradiance of greater than 5.1×1011 W/cm2 to the AK gap for a laser having a wavelength of 1064 nm. The switch is capable of operating at pressures up to 2200 psi; voltages across the gap of greater than 200 kV; operation at less than 70% self-break voltage; shot-to-shot jitter of less than 3 ns; AK gap distances of 3 mm or smaller; and triggering via a fiber-delivered laser pulse energy of as low as 500 μJ.
Use: Laser triggered high voltage gas switch e.g. photonic-crystal-fiber (PCF) delivered laser-triggered high voltage gas switch for pulsed-power applications.
Advantage: The hollow core enables higher peak irradiance coupling into the fiber without damage to the input or output faces. The gas switch can reliably generate a laser-induced plasma in the gap at laser pulse energies as small as 500 microjoules by leveraging the near single-mode output of the PCF.
Novelty: The gas switch includes a pressurized high-voltage gas switch main body having two opposing electrodes forming an anode-cathode gap in between. A fiber delivery system is used for delivering a laser trigger to the gap. The fiber-delivery system has a hollow-core photonic crystal fiber. A peak irradiance of the laser trigger is sufficient to form a plasma in the gap. The laser energy of the laser trigger is less than 14 millijoules.
Filed: 9/9/2019
Application Number: US16564685A
Tech ID: SD 14984.0
This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention.
Data from Derwent World Patents Index, provided by Clarivate
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