Study on characteristics of spark gap switch for HF laser

Spark gap switch is a key element of discharge initiated pulsed HF laser,which contributes much to the laser′s stable operation.The design of the spark gap switch is introduced in the paper,and the static self-breakdown characteristics and the dynamic triggering characteristics of the spark gap switch have been studied experimentally.It shows good stability with static self-breakdown voltage within 10～30 kV at a pressure of 0.1～0.4 MPa.A delay time shorter than 120 ns and a jitter time lower than 6 ns have been obtained as the trigger voltage rise-time is 20 ns and the voltage is 45 kV.The developed spark gap switch has a wide working range of approximately 55%～60%.Using the developed spark gap switch,steady operating of HF laser has been realized.