Characterization of a Linear Photoconductive Switch Used in Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Field Generator

In this letter, an experimental and quantitative study on the resistance behavior of a photoconductive semiconductor switch (PCSS) is reported. The study of the PCSS behavior is important for an accurate integration in a nanosecond pulse shaping generator. The effect of the bias voltage and the optical pulse energy on the switching efficiency is presented. The shift of the PCSS absorption threshold under the bias voltage is also described. The minimum resistance reached by the silicon semiconductor during the temporal switching is 3.8 Ω for 4-kV bias voltage and 48-μJ optical energy.

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