Patent ID: 8373518

Claim:
An apparatus for generating a plurality of electrical pulses on a transmission line, comprising: at least two transmission line conductors at a distance D, having characteristic impedance Z; a plurality of conductive segments with thickness t interposed between and electrically isolated from the two transmission line conductors, wherein the segments are capable of being charged and discharged to create a microwave pulse train on the transmission line conductors, and the conductive segments include upper conductive segments coupled to an upper one of the transmission line conductors through the switches and the conductive segments include lower conductive segments coupled to a lower one of the transmission line conductors through the switches, wherein the segments are positioned a distance D 1 from a corresponding one of the transmission line conductors, D1+D2+t= D, where D 1 and D 2 are not equal, and a ratio of D 2 /D 1 is chosen to be near optimum for efficiency and energy transfer, and odd numbered segments are switchably coupled to and positioned at distance D 1 from one of the transmission line conductors and even numbered segments are switchably coupled to and positioned at a distance D 1 from the other one of the transmission line conductors.