Primary investigation into the laser triggering multi-gap multi-channel gas switch in a single test module facility

A high precision laser trigger system is built up in the single test module of Primary Test Stand (PTS) facility. A fourth harmonic, with a wavelength lambda of 266 nm, Q-switched Nd: YAG laser was used to trigger the 5 MV multi-gap multi-channel gas switch which was filled with high pressure SF6-N-2 mixture gas. The maximum deviation and the standard deviation in the jitter time of the trigger system is +/- 0.7 ns and 0.3 ns respectively. The maximum deviation and the standard deviation in the jitter time for the multi-gap multi-channel laser triggering switch is +/- 2.4 ns and 1.5 ns respectiveiy. The curve of switch delay-time versus laser energy is obtained, which is helpful for the choice of fitting laser energy. The successful test with two lasers indicated that the design of using twenty-four lasers to trigger twenty-four switches respectively is feasible in "PTS".