A High Current, High Voltage Solid-State Pulse Generator for the NIF Plasma Electrode Pockels Cell

Arnold, Phil; Barbosa, Felipe Rudge; Cook, E.G.; Hickman, B.C.; Akana, G.; Brooksby, Craig

doi:10.1109/ppps.2007.4346165

“…Minutes before the shot, a He-O 2 gas mixture is flowed into and through the cell, raising the pressure to 70 millitorr in the gas cells on both sides of the crystal. [3] Approximately 300 milliseconds before the arrival of the laser beam in the cavity, low voltage, low current power supplies in the PEPC Plasma Pulse Generators (PPGs) apply an excitation to the low pressure He/O 2 mixture. The excitation voltage initially exceeds 1kV but drops quickly to a steady state value of 300 V. This has the effect of initiating and then maintaining very low conductivity plasma.…”

Section: Bmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plasma electrode Pockels Cell subsystem performance in the National Ignition Facility

Barbosa

¹

,

Arnold

²

,

Hinz

³

et al. 2007

2007 16th IEEE International Pulsed Power Conference

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The Plasma Electrode Pockels Cell (PEPC) subsystem is a key component of the National Ignition Facility, enabling the laser to employ an efficient four-pass main amplifier architecture. PEPC relies on a pulsed power technology to initiate and maintain plasma within the cells and to provide the necessary high voltage bias to the cells' nonlinear crystals. Ultimately, nearly 300 high-voltage, high-current pulse generators will be deployed in the NIF in support of PEPC.Production of solid-state plasma pulse generators and thyratron-switched pulse generators is now complete, with the majority of the hardware deployed in the facility. An entire cluster (one-fourth of a complete NIF) has been commissioned and is operating on a routine basis, supporting laser shot operations. Another cluster has been deployed, awaiting final commissioning. Activation and commissioning of new hardware continues to progress in parallel, driving toward a goal of completing the PEPC subsystem in late 2007.

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“…Avoid any beam interactions on passes 1 and 4. [3] Figure 2 illustrates the step-by-step interaction between the Plasma Electrode Pockels Cell and one of NIF's laser beams. …”

Section: Bmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plasma Electrode Pockels Cell Subsystem Performance in the National Ignition Facility

Barbosa

¹

,

Arnold

²

,

Hinz

³

et al. 2007

2007 IEEE 34th International Conference on Plasma Science (ICOPS)

Self Cite

3

0

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The Plasma Electrode Pockels Cell (PEPC) subsystem is a key component of the National Ignition Facility, enabling the laser to employ an efficient four-pass main amplifier architecture. PEPC relies on a pulsed power technology to initiate and maintain plasma within the cells and to provide the necessary high voltage bias to the cells' nonlinear crystals. Ultimately, nearly 300 high-voltage, high-current pulse generators will be deployed in the NIF in support of PEPC.Production of solid-state plasma pulse generators and thyratron-switched pulse generators is now complete, with the majority of the hardware deployed in the facility. An entire cluster (one-fourth of a complete NIF) has been commissioned and is operating on a routine basis, supporting laser shot operations. Another cluster has been deployed, awaiting final commissioning. Activation and commissioning of new hardware continues to progress in parallel, driving toward a goal of completing the PEPC subsystem in late 2007.

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Development of Solid-State Drivers for the NIF Plasma Electrode Pockels Cell

Barbosa

¹

,

Arnold

²

,

McHale

³

et al. 2008

2008 IEEE International Power Modulators and High-Voltage Conference

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Large aperture Plasma Electrode Pockels Cells (PEPC) are an enabling technology in the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The Pockels cell allows the NIF laser to take advantage of multipass amplifier architecture, thus reducing costs and physical size of the facility. Each Pockels cell comprises four 40-cm x 40-cm apertures arranged in a 4x1 array. The combination of the Pockels cell and a thin-film polarizer, configured in a 4x1 array, form an optical switch that is key to achieving multi-pass operation. Solid-state Plasma Pulse Generators (PPGs) and high current high voltage solid-state Switch Pulse Generators (SPGs) have been developed for use in the PEPC. The solid-state plasma pulse generators initiate and maintain plasma within the cells; each pulser is capable of delivering 60J of energy to each plasma channel. Deployment of the solid-state PPGs has been completed in NIF. The MOSFET-switched SPG is capable of delivering a requisite fast rise time, 17kV flattop pulse to the cells' nonlinear crystals.A complete software and hardware control system has been developed and is currently being tested for use on the solidstate SPGs. Also a transmission line modeling, development, and testing effort is in process, in support of NIFs' Advanced Radiographic Capabilities (ARC). Work is scheduled for completion by the end of the calendar year.

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A High Current, High Voltage Solid-State Pulse Generator for the NIF Plasma Electrode Pockels Cell

Cited by 5 publications

References 4 publications

Plasma electrode Pockels Cell subsystem performance in the National Ignition Facility

Plasma electrode Pockels Cell subsystem performance in the National Ignition Facility

Plasma Electrode Pockels Cell Subsystem Performance in the National Ignition Facility

Development of Solid-State Drivers for the NIF Plasma Electrode Pockels Cell

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