Running a copper-vapor laser with a pseudospark switch

A pseudospark switch was used to drive a copper-vapor laser with an input power of 3-7 kW at a repetition rate of 5-7 kHz. No decrease in electrical data was observed in comparison with a thyratron it replaced. Switch performance after 60 h of operation (>10/sup 9/ pulses) shows that further development could lead to a simple alternative for thyratrons.<
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