Double-Bounce Switching

Double-bounce switching is a technique for exploiting traveling waves in a transmission-line-type pulse forming system to reduce voltage requirements on pulse forming line PFL output switches. If a simple PFL a de charged ideal transmission line with characteristic impedance Z is switched into a matched load, then peak output power is v24Z, where V is output switch voltage. If the PFL is pulse-charged by another transmission line, and if geometries, circuit parameters, and switch points are chosen properly, then the PFL can inject a power much larger than v24Z into a matched load. This is the principle of double-bounce switching so called because it exploits a doubly reflected charging wave in the PFL. Data from EAGLE experiments are presented which demonstrate that the technique works in a real geometry.