US 12,255,037 B2
Nanoplasma switch device for ultrafast switching
Elison De Nazareth Matioli, Lausanne (CH); and Mohammad Samizadeh Nikooytabalvandani, Lausanne (CH)
Assigned to Ecole Polytechnique Federale De Lausanne, Lausanne (CH)
Appl. No. 17/798,462
Filed by ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE FEDERALE DE LAUSANNE (EPFL), Lausanne (CH)
PCT Filed Mar. 12, 2021, PCT No. PCT/EP2021/056316
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Aug. 9, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/190955, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 30, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. PCT/EP2020/058026 (WO), filed on Mar. 23, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0360875 A1, Nov. 9, 2023
Int. Cl. H01J 17/02 (2006.01); H01J 17/06 (2006.01); H01T 4/10 (2006.01)
CPC H01J 17/06 (2013.01) [H01T 4/10 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A nanoplasma switch device, comprising:
multiple electrically isolated electrodes;
a gap separating the two electrodes;
wherein the gap has a width which is dimensioned to effect the generation of a plasma by electric-field electron emission or tunneling;
wherein the gap has a width of below 5 nanometers to reduce the nanoplasma switch device turn on voltage, for which a fast switching might happen through tunneling; and an optical device may be provided which is configured to trigger a discharge by an optical signal to control the switch device, by shining photons to one of the electrodes, which allows to stimulate electron emission or direct ionization by high energy.