Low cost fast switch using a stack of bipolar transistors as a pockel cell driver

A fast high voltage switch to discharge a capacitive load using a stack of bipolar junction transistors is described. The switch operating at a voltage of 3.5 kV has a fall time (90%-10%) of similar to 2 ns. With a capacitive load (pockel cell) the pulse fall time increases to 6 ns. The life of the stack is >50 million shots. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.