Detection of broadband microwave radiation from a solid-dielectric closing switch

By means of a multi-channel detection system, broadband microwave radiation, up to at least 12 GHz, has been measured from a simple solid-dielectric switch closing a circuit charged to 10 kV. The spectrum of the radiated electric field has been measured up to 7 GHz by means of a high-bandwidth antenna coupled to a fast digitizing oscilloscope. The detected radiation could prove to be an interesting topic of study for solid-state physicists, as many questions remain unanswered.