Solid State Pulsed Power System for a Stripline Kicker

The DOE is looking for a solid-state pulser suitable for driving a 50 , 2 meter long stripline TEM deflector with 10-15 kV, 10 nanosecond flattop pulses at 100 kHz PRF, with 10-3stability (repeatability), and sub-100-picosecond jitter. This is a critical requirement for particle accelerator labs which need to deflect relativistic charged particle packets emerging from the accelerator at 1 MHz rate into Free Electron Laser (FEL) workstations, each receiving a packet at a rate of 100 kHz. It also represents a formidable technical challenge, combining the requirements for very fast switching with high pulse frequency at levels that have not been previously demonstrated. The major thrust of this proposed effort is to develop and demonstrate the technologies which will advance Free Electron Laser (FEL) development; by enabling the precise kicker operation needed to handle the desired bunch spacing and energy. In our Phase I effort, we developed a suitable circuit design for the required switch module. In this Phase II proposal, DTI will build this custom hybrid module capable of switching 1 kV, 20 A at very high speed and frequency, and assemble them into array, demonstrating the required 12 kV, 240 A, 10 ns kicker required for the stripline particle deflector. This module will also serve as a building block for other very fast switching systems of the future for other kickers, advanced radars, and industry. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits: A benefit of this effort will be the development of a reliable solid-state kicker pulser which can meet the needs of a wide range of existing and planned accelerators and colliders around the world. The modularity of this design will enable configuration of systems to a wide range of potential applications in both kickers and other high speed requirements, including high performance radars, directed energy systems, and excimer lasers.