Behaviour and external optical control of surface charges in a coplanar barrier discharge analysed from transverse and longitudinal electric field measurement

A transverse electric field in addition to a longitudinal electric field on the dielectric barrier in a coplanar barrier discharge is measured by a technique of laser polarization analysis using an electro-optic crystal. Spatial and temporal behaviour of charges on the surface is studied with these experimental results. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the accumulated charges on the coplanar barrier are modulated by external irradiation of pulsed laser and the discharge is controlled with this surface charge modulation.