GaAs photoconductive semiconductor switch triggered by laser spots with different profiles

As an important part of photoconductive semiconductor switch the laser triggering system was studied. A photoconductive semiconductor switch with a gap of 12 mm was fabricated from semi-insulating GaAs. Illuminated by laser pulses with different incident optical energies at a wavelength of 1 064 nm, photoconductivity tests of the photoconductive semiconductor switch were performed at different bias voltages. The laser spots with different profiles were used to trigger the photoconductive semiconductor switch, and the results of the photoconductivity tests were compared and discussed, which show that spot location has opposite influence on photocurrent for intrinsic and extrinsic photoconductivity.