Patent ID: 11942760
Assignee: LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NATIONAL SECURITY, LLC
Field: Optics (Instruments)
Classification: CPC H | IPC H

Claim 11:
12. A high-voltage switch, comprising:
a first electrode comprising a plurality of conductor regions that are spaced apart and configured to receive a voltage having a first polarity, wherein the first electrode is positioned at a top section of the high-voltage switch;
a second electrode that is spaced apart from the first electrode and configured to receive a voltage having a second polarity or to be connected to a ground level;
at least one laser gain medium that occupies a portion of a space between the first and second electrodes, wherein the at least one laser gain medium is configured to generate a laser pulse; and
a region of absorbing material occupying at least another portion of the space between the first and the second electrodes and positioned below the plurality of conductor regions of the first electrode, the region of absorbing material configured to produce a charged particle cloud upon receiving the laser pulse,
wherein the second electrode is positioned below the region of absorbing material,
wherein the high-voltage switch is configured to generate an output current upon the charged particle cloud reaching either the first or the second electrodes and until the charged particle cloud has been collected by the first or the second electrodes, and
wherein the high-voltage switch is configured to generate substantially no output current subsequent to the collection of the charged particle cloud by the first or the second electrodes and until another generated charged particle cloud reaches either the first or the second electrodes.