Transient Characteristics of Interdigitated GaAs Photoconductive Semiconductor Switch at 1-kHz Excitation

To explore the stability of gallium arsenide (GaAs) photoconductive semiconductor switches (PCSSs) with avalanche multiplication mechanism, an interdigitated electrode structure is presented at 1-kHz excitation by a femtosecond laser. The influences of optical excitation and bias electric field on switching characteristics are investigated. The transient current density and the distribution of electric field are demonstrated by the Monte Carlo simulation. The repetitive switching indicates that the avalanche multiplication mechanism could persist stably at 1-kHz repetition rate operation with this specific electrode structure.