Operating a pockels cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9927638-B2
Application number	US-201514734455-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 9, 2015
Priority date	Dec 10, 2012
Publication date	Mar 27, 2018
Grant date	Mar 27, 2018

Abstract

A Pockels cell driver circuit has a first circuit node that can be connected to a first terminal of a Pockels cell and a second circuit node that can be connected to a second terminal of the Pockels cell. The first circuit node is connected via a first switch to a positive potential and the second circuit node is connected via a second switch to a negative potential. The first circuit node is connected to the second circuit node via a short-circuit switch which is controlled for discharge of a linked Pockels cell.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A driver circuit for a Pockels cell, the driver circuit comprising:
a first circuit node configured to be connected to a first terminal of the Pockels cell, the first circuit node being connected via a first switch to a positive potential; and
a second circuit node configured to be connected to a second terminal of the Pockels cell, the second circuit node being connected via a second switch to a negative potential,
wherein the first circuit node is connected to the second circuit node via a short-circuit switch configured to be activated for discharge of the Pockels cell,
wherein the first, second, and short-circuit switches each comprise a respective serial connection of one or more individual switches, and each of the individual switches comprises at least one of a turn-on driver circuit or a turn-off driver circuit, and
wherein the first, second, and short-circuit switches are configured to include at least one of:
the turn-on driver circuits of the first and second switches and the turn-off driver circuits of the short-circuit switch connected in a first serial connection at respective input terminals of the turn-on driver circuits of the first and second switches and the turn-off driver circuits of the short-circuit switch, or
the turn-off driver circuits of the first and second switches and the turn-on driver circuits of the short-circuit switch connected in a second serial connection at respective input terminals of the turn-off driver circuits of the first and second switches and the turn-on driver circuits of the short-circuit switch.

2. The driver circuit of claim 1 , wherein the short-circuit switch is configured to reduce a voltage between the first and second circuit nodes from more than 1000 V to less than 100 V in a timespan of less than 200 ns.

3. The driver circuit of claim 1 , wherein the short-circuit switch is configured to discharge an electrical charge of more than 100 nC within a timespan of less than 100 ns when the short-circuit switch is switched on.

4. The driver circuit of claim 1 , wherein the turn-on driver circuits of the short-circuit switch are configured to close the individual switches of the short-circuit switch simultaneously.

5. The driver circuit of claim 1 , wherein the turn-off driver circuits of the short-circuit switch are configured to open the individual switches of the short-circuit switch simultaneously.

6. The driver circuit of claim 1 , wherein the serial connection of the individual switches of the short-circuit switch and the serial connections of the individual switches of the first and second switches form a united serial connection for the individual switches of the first, second, and short-circuit switches.

7. The driver circuit of claim 6 , further comprising one or more resistors arranged in the united serial connection.

8. The driver circuit of claim 1 , further comprising a first resistor arranged between the first circuit node and the positive potential and a second resistor between the second circuit node and the negative potential.

9. The driver circuit of claim 1 , wherein the turn-on driver circuits of the first, second, and short-circuit switches are configured to turn the individual switches of the first, second, short-circuit switches into a conductive state.

10. The driver circuit of claim 1 , wherein the turn-off driver circuits of the first, second, and short-circuit switches are configured to turn the individual switches of the first, second, and short-circuit switches into a non-conductive state.

11. The driver circuit of claim 1 , wherein each of the turn-on driver circuits includes a first signal transformer and each of the turn-off driver circuits includes a second signal transformer, and wherein the first signal transformer and the second signal transformer have an identical construction.

12. The driver circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first serial connection of the turn-on driver circuits of the first and second switches and the turn-off driver circuits of the short-circuit switch is connected to a driver voltage via a driver switch.

13. The driver circuit of claim 1 , wherein the second serial connection of the turn-off driver circuits of the first and second switches and the turn-on driver circuits of the short-circuit switch are connected to a driver voltage via a driver switch.

14. The driver circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first and second circuit nodes are at a common potential with a same absolute value when the first and second switches are closed.

15. The driver circuit of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of a resistor or a capacitive element arranged between power terminals of one or more of the individual switches.

16. The driver circuit of claim 1 , further comprising one or more resistors arranged in at least one of the first serial connection or the second serial connection.

17. A driver circuit for a Pockels cell, the driver circuit comprising:
a first circuit node configured to be connected to a first terminal of the Pockels cell, the first circuit node being connected via a first switch to a positive potential; and
a second circuit node configured to be connected to a second terminal of the Pockels cell, the second circuit node being connected via a second switch to a negative potential,
wherein the first circuit node is connected to the second circuit node via a short-circuit switch,
wherein the first, second, and short-circuit switches are configured to:
charge the Pockels cell by closing the first and second switches and opening the short-circuit switch, and
discharge the Pockels cell by opening the first and second switches and closing the short-circuit switch,

wherein the first, second and short-circuit switches each comprise at least one of a turn-on driver circuit or a turn-off driver circuit, and
wherein the first, second and short-circuit switch are configured to include at least one of:
the turn-on driver circuits of the first and second switches and the turn-off driver circuit of the short-circuit switch connected in a first serial connection, or
the turn-off driver circuits of the first and second switches and the turn-on driver circuit of the short-circuit switch connected in a second serial connection.

18. A method of operating a Pockels cell comprising:
charging the Pockels cell by simultaneously closing a first switch and a second switch in a Pockels cell driver circuit and opening a short-circuit switch in the Pockets cell driver circuit, wherein the Pockels cell driver circuit comprises:
a first circuit node configured to be connected to a first terminal of the Pockels cell, the first circuit node being connected via the first switch to a positive potential; and
a second circuit node configured to be connected to a second terminal of the Pockels cell, the second circuit node being connected via the second switch to a negative potential, wherein the first circuit node is connected to the second circuit node via the short-circuit switch; and

discharging the Pockels cell by simultaneously opening the first switch and the second switch and closing the short-circuit switch,
wherein the first, second, and short-circuit switches each comprise at least one of a turn-on driver circuit or a turn-off driver circuit, and
wherein the first, second, and short-circuit switches are configured to include at least one of:
the turn-on driver circuits of the first and second switches and the turn-off driver circuit of the short-circuit switch connected in a first serial connection, or
the turn-off driver circui

Assignees

• Trumpf Laser Gmbh

Inventors

• Edler Hans Georg

Classifications

• H03K17/102

  in field-effect transistor switches · CPC title

• H01S3/115

  using intracavity electro-optic devices · CPC title

• G02F1/0327 Primary

  Operation of the cell; Circuit arrangements (G02F1/05 takes precedence) · CPC title