Light initiated high power electronic switch

A system for triggering a high energy load, such as a laser, comprising:

• an electronic switch having an anode cup and a cathode cup;
• means for storing electrical energy;
• a high voltage source operatively associated with the anode cup of the electronic switch;
• said high voltage source associated with said switch through the electrical energy storage means;
• said electronic switch comprising:
• said anode cup and said cathode cup each having at least a single plate positioned at one end, each plate defining an aperture, said apertures being substantially aligned;
• envelope means for hermetically sealing said anode and cathode cups;
• means for directing unfocused light toward said apertures of a sufficiently short wavelength at the back of the cathode top plate to trigger flow and discharge of high amperage current across the gap between the respective plates of the anode and cathode;
• and
• means for controlling the flow of gas into said switch, so that said switch operates on the left side of the Paschen curve, whereby when light is applied, the electronic switch is closed and the electrical energy storage means applies a pulse of electrical energy to said load.

A gas filled electronic switch, exhibiting high standoff voltage characteristics, for high power application, comprising:

• an elongated, hermetically-sealed, high dielectric constant material envelope, said envelope being filled with ionizable material at a relatively low pressure;
• a pair of metallic, conductive cups, positioned bottom to bottom;
• each of said cups being cylindrical with flat bottom plates, said plates defining a pair of apertures;
• said cups being mounted substantially coaxially within said envelope and separated by a small gap, the distance of which is comparable to the diameter of said central apertures;
• means for applying a high voltage between said two cups;
• means for operating said electronic switch at a low pressure to maintain a high standoff voltage in the absence of a trigger;
• said switch being thermally and electrically isolated from a triggering means.