Abstract

The laser triggering of a high-voltage gas-insulated spark gap is one of the more Interesting techniques of pulse power technology. We have investigated this triggering process by optical breakdown, which is a small-volume discharge produced by focused UV and IR laser pulses which are spatially and temporally overlapped. This triggering method can act to reduce electrode erosion, switching jitter, and laser energy for triggering. We anticipate that the UV laser pulse supplies seed electrons by multiphoton ionization and that a subsequent IR laser pulse enhances the number of electrons through a cascade ionization process. The observation of optical breakdown phenomena has been carried out, and we have observed the effect of UV preionization on optical breakdown.

© 1985 Optical Society of America