Excitation system for a fast pulsed discharge

An excitation system for fast pulsed discharge with excitation by a highly homogeneous arc-free capacitor-discharge in a gas space between and defined by two mutually opposed electrodes disposed within a discharge chamber in a laser, the two electrodes extending in mutual alignment, parallel to the optical axis of the laser and having edges spaced from one another, and with first and second stripline capacitors for low-induction energy-storage, the stripline capacitors having electrodes connected within a pulse-forming network to the laser electrodes and to electrodes of a fast high-voltage switching gap, respectively, high-voltage pulses for the laser electrodes being producible through ignition of the high-voltage switching gap by means of discharge of the stripline capacitors, dielectric layers disposed between the capacitor electrodes, the dielectric layers and the capacitor electrodes extending normally to the optical axis of the laser and being stacked parallel to the optical axis of the laser in a capacitor stack, and laterally extending connecting lugs connecting the capacitor electrodes within the pulse-forming network to the electrodes of the laser chamber, comprising, in the direction in which the dielectric layers and the capacitor electrodes are stacked, mutually adjacent, miniature common capacitance units of the individual stripline capacitors disposed, respectively, with the capacitor electrodes and dielectric layers thereof mirror-inverted relative to an imaginary symmetry plane extending normally to the laser axis between said capacitance units so that the mutually opposing capacitor electrodes of the respectively mutually adjacent capacitance units are at the same potential and are combinable into common capacitor electrodes.