Saturable reactor and power source apparatus for pulse laser utilising same

A power source apparatus for pulse laser comprising:

• a direct-current power supply for charging;
• a switch element connected in parallel to the direct-current power supply;
• a magnetic pulse compression circuit comprising a serially connected saturable reactor and capacitor connected in parallel to the switch element;
• another one or a plurality of serially connected saturable reactor and capacitor successively connected in parallel to the parallelly connected capacitor in proceeding stage so that when the switch element turns on, the energy stored in the capacitors is transferred successively to the capacitor of next stage;
• and
• a laser discharge unit connected in parallel to the capacitor in final stage,
• wherein charging current from the direct-current power supply flows through the saturable reactors, and
• the saturable reactors comprises:
• a saturable magnetic core;
• a principal coil wound around the saturable magnetic core;
• a subsidiary coil wound around the saturable magnetic core;
• and
• a power source which feeds electric current to the subsidiary coil when the transition of the saturable magnetic core from unsaturated state to saturated state is effected by the subsidiary coil, wherein:
• the saturable magnetic core becomes saturated state immediately when voltage is applied to the principal magnetic coil in the same direction as the current in the subsidiary magnetic coil, while becoming the saturated state from an initial unsaturated state at the time when a product of the voltage and time reaches a predetermined value if the voltage is applied to the principal magnetic coil in a direction opposite to the current flowing in the subsidiary magnetic coil.