Low jitter operation of a plasma opening switch

Low throughput jitter is crucial to the construction of modular pulsed power systems. Recently, the causes of throughput jitter in plasma opening switches have been identified and reduced in a pulsed power system using these switches as the last stage of pulse compression. The results of these changes to the system are presented and discussed. It is found that low jitter operation can be obtained and is consistent with current theoretical understanding of switch operation based upon measured reproducibility of the plasma sources used.