High voltage pulse shaping of e-beam diode using perveance variation.

Area of Science:

• Pulsed power technology
• High voltage engineering
• Plasma physics

Background:

• Pulsed power systems require precise voltage pulse control for applications like electron-beam diodes.
• Traditional pulse shaping methods often involve complex and bulky external circuitry.
• Electron-beam diodes exhibit non-linear, time-varying perveance that influences output characteristics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a new methodology for shaping high voltage pulses for pulsed power applications.
• To generate high voltage square pulses across the anode-cathode gap of electron-beam diodes.
• To investigate the potential of inherent diode characteristics for pulse shaping.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing the non-linear, time-varying perveance of electron-beam diodes for pulse shaping.
• Analyzing the output pulse generated directly from a Marx generator feeding an e-beam diode.
• Developing an analytical model to predict square-like pulse generation under specific conditions.

Main Results:

• Analytical demonstration that a Marx generator feeding an e-beam diode can produce a square-like output pulse.
• Experimental validation of the analytical findings, confirming the feasibility of the proposed method.
• Successful generation of high voltage square pulses without external pulse shaping circuits.

Conclusions:

• The inherent characteristics of electron-beam diodes can be effectively leveraged for high voltage pulse shaping.
• A Marx generator coupled with an e-beam diode offers a simplified approach to generating square-like voltage pulses.
• This methodology presents a promising, potentially more efficient, solution for pulsed power applications.