Integrated Computational Investigation of Photoconductive Semiconductor Switches in Pulsed Power Radio Frequency Applications

Successful integration of linear-mode photoconductive semiconductor switches (PCSS) into RF pulsing antenna sources may yield higher switching speeds and improved power efficiency over conventional switching methods, while also reducing size/weight. This paper presents a multiphysics computational methodology for studying linear-mode PCSS in a high-power antenna system, with a focus on extrinsically triggered wide-bandgap materials. A comparison with the existing literature reveals crucial performance sensitivities to photon absorption models, as well as encouraging results for the potential of PCSS as high-power switching devices.