Plasma electrode pockels cell for ICF lasers

In a plasma-electrode Pockels cell (PEPC), plasma discharges serve as transparent electrodes on each side of, an electrooptic crystal such as KDP. These plasmas facilitate rapid and uniform charging and discharging of the crystal. The authors describe PEPC technology deployed on Beamlet and envisioned for the National Ignition Facility. Performance on Beamlet is discussed in detail. They also discuss models which have shed light on PEPC operation. These models describe both the high-voltage sheath that forms near the crystal surface and the characteristics of the bulk plasma column