Microwave pulse compression from a storage cavity with laser-induced switching

A method of compressing a microwave pulse, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a source of microwaves;
• (b) applying microwave radiation from the microwave source to a plurality of main cavities, wherein the microwave radiation is stored as a single mode, said microwave radiation being applied to the plurality of main cavities in a coherent manner so that a fixed phase relationship exists between the cavities;
• (c) applying laser radiation from a single laser in at lest two of the main cavities proximate to an antinode of the single mode pattern formed therein, so that a plasma is formed in a switching gas that is reflective of the microwaves to switch the microwaves out of the main cavities;
• (c) coherently combining the output of the switched main cavities to provide a common output;
• and
• (e) controlling the timing of the application of laser radiation to each main cavity to control the common output.

A pulse compression system that compresses electromagnetic energy from a microwave source, comprising:

• a plurality of microwave cavities arranged in parallel, each comprising:
• a main cavity which stores microwave energy in a single mode having a standing wave pattern of nodes and antinodes;
• an output port in the main cavity positioned proximate to a node of the standing wave pattern;
• a branch waveguide connected to the output port of the main cavity;
• microwave pulse splitting means for splitting a single microwave pulse from the microwave source into a plurality of microwave input pulses;
• microwave input pulse coupling means for coupling each microwave input pulse into an associated main cavity;
• a laser;
• a plurality of laser-induced gaseous switches, each container a switching gas, on positioned in each main cavity at an antinode of the standing wave pattern;
• laser pulse splitting means for splitting a single laser pulse from the laser into a plurality of laser switching pulses;
• laser switching pulse coupling means for coupling each laser switching pulse into an associated laser induced gaseous switch wherein the switching gas is ionized to produce a plasma which is reflective to the microwave energy in the main cavity to switch the microwave energy out of the main cavity through the output port into the branch waveguide;
• switching timing control means for varying the timing of each laser switching pulse to its associated laser-induced gaseous switch;
• output combining means for combining the outputs from each branch waveguide.