QBU-BT-10kV Pockels cell drivers

The 10kV Pockels cell driver QBU-BT-10kV is an extension of QBU-BT-series operating voltage range up to 10 kV (bipolar). High output voltage allows to use Pockels cells under half-wave voltage schemes or deal with larger crystals. Please, note that by bipolar device an output pulse voltage U is formed by applying +U/2 to positive output wire and –U/2 to negative.

QBU-BT-10kV-series is specially designed to control Pockels cells by applying a fast switching high voltage. The voltage level, operating frequency and pulse width can be selected in working range by user through RS232 or through the front panel. Triggering is carried out automatically or via a signal from an external device.

Devices are encased and easy for the user to mount, they run on common 100-240 V AC 50/60 Hz, so, you don’t need extra power supply for the driver.

Three different operating modes are possible:

• push-up (= normally off scheme), when a base voltage level equals to zero, triggering is internal
• pull-down (= normally on scheme), when pulses from base bias voltage to ground are generated, triggering is internal
• triggering by an external low voltage arbitrary TTL signal, external synchronization mode.

The fact that the drivers have a big number of settings, allowing an output signal customization in many ways to solve wide range of tasks, makes them very suitable to use in laboratory.

10 kV Pockels cell driver QBU-BT-10kV is based on MOSFET technology and offers high repetition rates and fast transition time for both pulse edges (< 20 ns / < 25 ns rise/fall time). Due to high efficiency and embedded forced air cooling multi-kilohertz operations are possible even at maximum output voltage.

Performance

In internal synchronization mode the QBU-BT-10kV performance is limited to values given in a table below. The total capacitive load of Pockels cell and connective cable is assumed to be 11 pF (this corresponds to typical Pockels cell capacitance of 5-7 pF with 30-50 cm cable).

In external synchronization mode, the driver usually shows higher performance. In the burst mode (i.e. for short term operations) the performance increases approximately twice and can reach 100 kHz at low operating voltage and low load capacitances.

The performance deteriorates for higher load capacitance.