LONG PULSE SOLID STATE HIGH POWER MICROWAVE SOURCE

THIS PROPOSAL REVIEWS THE PRESENTLY AVAILABLE SOLID STATE DEVICES AND SHOWS THAT VERY HIGH POWER MICROWAVE ENERGY CANNOT BE ECONOMICALLYPRODUCED BY THEIR USE. THE NEWLY EMERGING LIGHT ACTIVATED SEMICONDUCTOR SWITCH (LASS) IS SHOWN TO BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING THE POWER LEVELS OF 100MW AND ABOVE. THESE ARE THE LEVELS NEEDED FOR RADIATING COUNTERMINE APPLICATIONS. THE CIRCUIT TECHNIQUES NEEDED TO ALLOW THE LASS TO PRODUCE STABLE REPRODUCIBLE LONG MICROWAVE PULSES ARE DESCRIBED. A SYSTEM EMPLOYING A ND:YAG LASER TO SEQUENTIALLY TURN ON A SERIES OF LASS DEVICES IS ALSO DESCRIBED AND SHOWN TO BE CAPABLE OF OPERATING WITH AN EFFICIENCY OF GREATER THAN THIRTY PERCENT. A PROGRAM IS OUTLINES IN WHICH THE SPECIFICATIONS OF A COUNTER MINE WEAPON WILL BE DRAWN UP. VARIOUS CIRCUIT SCHEMES EMPLOYING THE LASS WILL BE STUDIED AS CANDIDATES FOR PRODUCING LONG PULSES OF VERY HIGH POWER MICROWAVE ENERGY. A CONCEPTUAL DESIGN WILL BE SELECTED AND THE SIZE, WEIGHT AND PROJECTED COST WILL BE DERIVED AND A RISK ANALYSIS AND TRADE OFF STUDY CONDUCTED. A PLAN TO VERIFY THE CONCEPTUAL DESIGN DURING A PHASE II EFFORT WILL BE PROPOSED.