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Title: Active high-power RF switch and pulse compression system

Abstract

A high-power RF switching device employs a semiconductor wafer positioned in the third port of a three-port RF device. A controllable source of directed energy, such as a suitable laser or electron beam, is aimed at the semiconductor material. When the source is turned on, the energy incident on the wafer induces an electron-hole plasma layer on the wafer, changing the wafer's dielectric constant, turning the third port into a termination for incident RF signals, and. causing all incident RF signals to be reflected from the surface of the wafer. The propagation constant of RF signals through port 3, therefore, can be changed by controlling the beam. By making the RF coupling to the third port as small as necessary, one can reduce the peak electric field on the unexcited silicon surface for any level of input power from port 1, thereby reducing risk of damaging the wafer by RF with high peak power. The switch is useful to the construction of an improved pulse compression system to boost the peak power of microwave tubes driving linear accelerators. In this application, the high-power RF switch is placed at the coupling iris between the charging waveguide and the resonant storage linemore » of a pulse compression system. This optically controlled high power RF pulse compression system can handle hundreds of Megawatts of power at X-band.

Inventors:
 [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. San Mateo, CA
  2. Woodside, CA
  3. Mountain View, CA
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
871790
Patent Number(s):
5796314
Assignee:
Stanford University (Stanford, CA)
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01P - WAVEGUIDES
DOE Contract Number:  
AC03-76SF00515
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
active; high-power; rf; switch; pulse; compression; switching; device; employs; semiconductor; wafer; positioned; third; three-port; controllable; source; directed; energy; suitable; laser; electron; beam; aimed; material; incident; induces; electron-hole; plasma; layer; changing; dielectric; constant; termination; signals; causing; reflected; surface; propagation; changed; controlling; coupling; reduce; peak; electric; field; unexcited; silicon; level; input; power; reducing; risk; damaging; useful; construction; improved; boost; microwave; tubes; driving; linear; accelerators; application; placed; iris; charging; waveguide; resonant; storage; line; optically; controlled; handle; hundreds; megawatts; x-band; energy incident; input power; linear accelerators; pulse compression; rf signal; semiconductor wafer; dielectric constant; electric field; semiconductor material; electron beam; linear accelerator; peak power; switching device; propagation constant; wave tube; silicon surface; rf signals; rf pulse; high-power rf; wafer positioned; device employs; rf switch; optically controlled; microwave tube; rf device; directed energy; /333/327/

Citation Formats

Tantawi, Sami G, Ruth, Ronald D, and Zolotorev, Max. Active high-power RF switch and pulse compression system. United States: N. p., 1998. Web.
Tantawi, Sami G, Ruth, Ronald D, & Zolotorev, Max. Active high-power RF switch and pulse compression system. United States.
Tantawi, Sami G, Ruth, Ronald D, and Zolotorev, Max. Thu . "Active high-power RF switch and pulse compression system". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/871790.
@article{osti_871790,
title = {Active high-power RF switch and pulse compression system},
author = {Tantawi, Sami G and Ruth, Ronald D and Zolotorev, Max},
abstractNote = {A high-power RF switching device employs a semiconductor wafer positioned in the third port of a three-port RF device. A controllable source of directed energy, such as a suitable laser or electron beam, is aimed at the semiconductor material. When the source is turned on, the energy incident on the wafer induces an electron-hole plasma layer on the wafer, changing the wafer's dielectric constant, turning the third port into a termination for incident RF signals, and. causing all incident RF signals to be reflected from the surface of the wafer. The propagation constant of RF signals through port 3, therefore, can be changed by controlling the beam. By making the RF coupling to the third port as small as necessary, one can reduce the peak electric field on the unexcited silicon surface for any level of input power from port 1, thereby reducing risk of damaging the wafer by RF with high peak power. The switch is useful to the construction of an improved pulse compression system to boost the peak power of microwave tubes driving linear accelerators. In this application, the high-power RF switch is placed at the coupling iris between the charging waveguide and the resonant storage line of a pulse compression system. This optically controlled high power RF pulse compression system can handle hundreds of Megawatts of power at X-band.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1998},
month = {Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1998}
}