Variable width nanosecond pulse generator utilizing storage diodes having snap-off characteristics

Claim 1

A PULSE GENERATOR COMPRISING: (A) A SOURCE OF ALTERNATING WAVES OF PRE-DETERMINED FREQUENCY, (B) A FIRST CHANNEL HAVNG WAVES APPLIED THERETO FROM SAID SOURCE, SAIDCHANNEL INCLUDING A STORAGE DIODE HAVING SNAP-OFF CHARACTERSTICS CONNECTED IN SAID CHANNEL TO PERMIT TRANSMISSION OF POSITIVE CURRENTS AND TO EFFECT A SHARP REDUCTION IN TRANSMISSION ABRUPTLY, BUT AT A TIME APPRECIABLY AFTER ONSET OF APPLIED NEGATIVE CURRENTS AT SAID PRE-DETERMINED FREQUENCY TO CREAT A FIRST WAVEFRONT, (C) A SECOND CHANNEL HAVING WAVES APPLIED THERETO FREOM SAID SOURCE OF A POLARITY OPPOSING THOSE APPLIED TO SAID FIRST CHANNEL, SAID SECOND CHANNEL HAVING A SNAP-OFF STORAGE DIODE CONNECTED TO PERMIT TRANSMISSION OF NEGATIVE CURRENTS AND TO EFFECT A SHARP REDUCTION IN TRANSMISSION ABRUPTLY, BUT AT A TIME APPRECIABLY AFTER ONSET OF POSITIVE CURRENTS AT SAID PRE-DETERMINED FREQUENCY TO CREAT ASECOND WAVEFRONT, (D) MEANS COUPLED TO AT LEAST ONE OF SAID CHANNELS TO TIME SAID SNAP-OFFS AT RELATIVELY DIFFERENT INSTANTS IN TIME WITHIN AN INTERVAL DURING WHICH THE AMPLITUDES OF SAID WAVES AT SAID RESPECTIVE DIODES ARE SUBSTANTIAL, (E) FIRST AND SECOND DIFFERENTIATING MEANS COUPLED TO SAID RESPECTIVE OF MUTUALLY OPPOSITE POLARITY TIMED DURATION PULSES OF MUTUALLY OPPOSITE POLARITY TIMED WITH SAID RESPECTIVE WAVEFRONTS, AND (F) A BI-STABLE TUNNEL DIODE PULSE GENERATOR COUPLED TO SAID DIFFERENTIATING MEANS AND PRODUCING AN OUTPUT PULSE TIMED BY SAID SHORT DURATION PULSES.