A Compact All-Solid-State Self-Compressing Low-to-High Power Converting RF Pulse Generator

In this paper, a novel method for high-repetition-rate high-power radio frequency (RF) pulse generation, which involves only passive solid-state devices and is capable of being used for generating high power microwaves using a low-to-high power converting scheme based on nonlinear self-compression is proposed. The method is also expected to be of low jitter. In the proposed circuit, two high voltage diodes with proper reverse recovery characteristics are used. The simulation results show that the proposed circuit generates RF pulses, with central frequencies up to gigahertz range. By applying a sub-kilowatt power supply, the maximum output power was well over 10 kW. This power can be increased up to megawatt order using power supplies of kilowatt range, as predicted by the theory. Simulations also indicated the possibility of 130-kHz pulse repetition rate as predicted by the theoretical analysis. The proposed method has been shown to work properly by an experimental setup. The setup showed the repetition rates up to 5000 pulses/s, which was capable of being increased to the simulation result using high quality circuit elements just as those used in the simulated circuit. We are currently carrying out a research to achieve the predicted upper limits of the power at gigahertz range RF generation and the results will be presented in their future reports.