High-T_c superconducting thin films are used to design a new type of opening switch. The superconducting film screens the magnetic flux linkage between the primary and the secondary coils of a transformer. Short laser pulses (150 ps) are used to trigger the transition of the superconductor to its normal state allowing the flux produced by a primary current to couple to the secondary. This results in an induced voltage pulse in the load across the secondary and corresponds to the open state of the switch. Experiments have confirmed the feasibility of this inductively coupled switch, and rise times of 50 ns have been observed for the secondary voltage pulse. The switch has the potential for high current (1 kA) and fast switching times (< 1 ns).

Date Published: 9 June 1993
PDF: 5 pages
Proc. SPIE 1873, Optically Activated Switching III, (9 June 1993); doi: 10.1117/12.146538

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 1873:
Optically Activated Switching III
R. Aaron Falk, Editor(s)