Fast Rise-time High Power Radio Frequency (HPRF) Pulse Shaping

The Navy has a need for a fast rise time High Power Radio Frequency (HPRF) pulse shaping tool to augment its capabilities for lethality and counter-electronics testing. Verus Research (VR) designed and modeled a plasma switch assembly to determine the optimum physical and electrical characteristics required to create an efficient and reliable family of switches for multi-megawatt sources during Phase I, further development and testing of the design will be completed during Phase II. Verus Research’s anticipated final product is a family of plasma switches that integrate into existing HPRF sources that enables pulse shaping beyond the original source capabilities. This pulse shaping capability will meet the Office of Naval Research (ONR) requirements by allowing for existing slow rise, long pulse systems to generate a fast rise, “dial-a-pulse” capability to augment existing ONR capabilities. It provides an inexpensive modification to Navy sources, as opposed to acquiring multiple new sources at potentially millions of dollars in additional expenses. The new capability can be used for any application requiring adjustable pulse width for high power, fast risetime, PRF testing, including electronics effects testing, antenna testing, or modeling of RF coupling.