• A fully solid-state Blumlein PFN generator is proposed that synergistically integrates a saturable pulse transformer (SPT) and a magnetic switch (MS). • The SPT doubles as a voltage amplifier and a secondary-side discharge regulator, eliminating the need for an extra high-voltage switch. • The saturation inductance of the MS is ingeniously integrated as a component of the PFN, preventing degradation of the output pulse waveform. • The MS sharpens the pulse front edge to < 40 ns while its saturation inductance is re-used as the first-stage inductor of the PFN, avoiding any penalty on the pulse shape. • The design enables modular voltage multiplication via series stacking without compromising the fast pulse front edge. • Experimental results demonstrate a high-voltage pulse (-42 kV) with a short front edge (35 ns) and a flat-top profile (120 ns FWHM) into a 100 Ω load. • The generator offers a compact, low-cost, and controllable solution for applications requiring high-power, high-frequency pulses with fast rise times. This study presents a solid-state Blumlein pulse-forming network (PFN) pulse generator that integrates a saturable pulse transformer (SPT) and a magnetic switch. It is observed that as the transformation ratio of the SPT increases, the saturation inductance of the SPT rises exponentially, resulting in a slower pulse front edge and the elimination of the pulse flat top. Consequently, this study employs a magnetic switch to sharp the front edge of the pulse. The saturation inductance of the magnetic switch, integrated within the PFN, does not affect the output waveform. This approach effectively enables a significant improvement in the output power and stability of the pulse generator. In this configuration, the pulse front edge is primarily governed by the conduction speed of the magnetic switch and the discharge characteristics of the Blumlein PFN. Furthermore, the pulse generator can achieve voltage multiplication through series stacking without significantly altering the pulse front edge. Experimental validation using two modules demonstrated an output pulse with a peak voltage of approximately 42 kV, a pulse width of about 120 ns, and a pulse front edge duration of 35 ns across a 100 Ω resistive load.
Zhuang et al. (Sun,) studied this question.