A wide-aperture Pockels cell with three ring electrodes

A wide-aperture Pockels cell based on a DKDP crystal having an optical diameter of 70 mm is studied. Three silver ring electrodes deposited on the side surface of the crystal were used to apply a high-voltage rectangular pulse of variable duration from 50 to 150 ns to the cell. Chains of KT6117A (2N5551) transistors operating in the avalanche regime served as fast electron switches. The duration of the leading and trailing edges of the pulse formed by these switches did not exceed 15 ns. The nonuniformity of the transmission coefficient over the cross section of the cell caused by the inhomogeneity of the electric field inside the crystal was close to 3.5%.