Design and investigation of a multichannel laser-triggered vacuum switch

A laser-triggered vacuum switch (LTVS) is an advanced closing switch with nanosecond delay and jitter. In order to enhance hold-off voltage and extend the service lifetime of an LTVS, we designed a multichannel laser-triggered vacuum switch (MLTVS) utilizing a cone-shaped target electrode placed on the cathode platform. The fabrication and testing of the MLTVS is described in this paper. Experimental results show that the working voltage of the MLTVS with a gap distance of 12 mm is from 30 V to 20 kV. The threshold energy for triggering the switch is 0.4 mJ corresponding to a peak power density of 27.9 MW/cm(2). The triggering lifetime of a spot can reach up to 18,000 shots. In addition, the relationship between triggering lifetime and target materials is analyzed using a field emission scanning electron microscope. A hypothesis of the vacuum gap's triggering mechanism is discussed based on the measured results.