Pulse shaping with stubs

Abstract

A set of stub design curves for producing ramped pulse shapes, suitable for creating the ballistic pulse compression in an ICF concept, is presented. Validation experiments are also presented. The design curves are based on numerical circuit simulations of a stub system being driven by a single trapezoidal pulse. They represent a departure from steady-state analysis which looks at stub shaping on periodic, continuous waveforms. The design curves specify the stub's parameters of length and basic impedance profile as well as the system's energy efficiency from a set of input pulse and desired output pulse parameters. The experiments tested stubs attached to a 4-ohm, water filled stripline in several configurations and showed the validity of the design curves and the effects of electrode spacing and stub configuration on the output pulse shape.