Highly efficient pulsed power supply system with a two-stage LC generator and a step-up transformer for fast capillary discharge soft x-ray laser at shorter wavelength

• Published in: Review of scientific instruments Vol. 81; no. 1; pp. 013303 - 013303-3
• Main Authors: Sakai, Yusuke, Takahashi, Shnsuke, Komatsu, Takanori, Song, Inho, Watanabe, Masato, Hotta, Eiki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Institute of Physics 01.01.2010
• Subjects: CAPACITORS; CAPILLARIES; EFFICIENCY; ELECTRIC GENERATORS; ELECTRIC POTENTIAL; ENERGY TRANSFER; HOT PLASMA; INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY; PLASMA DENSITY; POWER SUPPLIES; SOFT X RADIATION; SWITCHES; TRANSFORMERS; WATER; X-RAY LASERS
• ISSN: 0034-6748; 1089-7623; 1089-7623
• DOI: 10.1063/1.3276705

Highly efficient and compact pulsed power supply system for a capillary discharge soft x-ray laser (SXRL) has been developed. The system consists of a 2.2   μ F two-stage LC inversion generator, a 2:54 step-up transformer, a 3 nF water capacitor, and a discharge section with a few tens of centimeter length capillary. Adoption of the pulsed transformer in combination with the LC inversion generator enables us to use only one gap switch in the circuit for charging the water capacitor up to about 0.5 MV. Furthermore, step-up ratio of a water capacitor voltage to a LC inversion generator initial charging voltage is about 40 with energy transfer efficiency of about 50%. It also leads to good reproducibility of a capillary discharge which is necessary for lasing a SXRL stably. For the study of the possibility of lasing a SXRL at shorter wavelength in a small laboratory scale, high-density and high-temperature plasma column suitable for the laser can be generated relatively easily with this system.