A sanitization apparatus includes an excimer lamp, a power converter configured to power the excimer lamp and a controller. The controller is configured to monitor an impedance of the excimer lamp and vary an output voltage waveform of the power converter based upon the impedance.

An ultraviolet lamp system is provided. The ultraviolet lamp system includes: (a) a bulb; (b) at least one magnetron configured to emit microwave energy configured to be received by the bulb; and (c) a power supply configured to provide electrical energy to the at least one magnetron, the power supply being adapted to modulate the electrical energy provided to the at least one magnetron such that light output from the bulb is more uniform in at least one of intensity and spectral output.

An embodiment of a system includes an RF signal source, a first electrode, a second electrode, and a cavity configured to receive an electrodeless bulb. The RF signal source is configured to generate an RF signal. The first electrode is configured to receive the RF signal and to convert the RF signal into electromagnetic energy that is radiated by the first electrode. The cavity is defined by first and second boundaries that are separated by a distance that is less than the wavelength of the RF signal so that the cavity is sub-resonant. The first electrode is physically positioned at the first boundary, and the second electrode is physically positioned at the second boundary. The first electrode, the second electrode, and the cavity form a structure that is configured to capacitively couple the electromagnetic energy into the electrodeless bulb when the electrodeless bulb is positioned within the cavity.

A fluorescent lamp, including a vitreous portion of the fluorescent lamp comprising a vitreous envelope filled with a working gas mixture, the vitreous envelope having an inner surface facing the working gas mixture side of the vitreous portion; a first coating deposited on the inner surface, the first coating comprising a first metal oxide; a second coating deposited on top of the first coating, the second coating comprising a phosphor; and a third coating deposited on top of the second coating, the third coating comprising a second metal oxide.

An induction RF fluorescent lamp having a bulbous vitreous portion of the induction RF fluorescent light bulb including a lamp envelope filled with a working gas mixture. The lamp includes a power coupler and an electronic ballast. A first metallic structure is attached to a cavity wall and extends outwardly radially therefrom and within the lamp envelope outside a re-entrant cavity including mercury. The first metallic structure is mounted within the lamp envelope and adapted to absorb power from the electric field and induce discharge during a turn-on phase of the induction RF fluorescent lamp in a manner sufficient to rapidly heat and vaporize the mercury and promote rapid luminous development during the turn-on phase of the induction RF fluorescent lamp.

A dimmable induction RF fluorescent light bulb comprising a power coupler with reduced extraneous electromagnetic radiation wherein a dimming facility utilizes burst-mode dimming that periodically interrupts the high frequency voltage and current to the power coupler with an off period and an on period in order to reduce the power being delivered to the power coupler wherein the off period is shorter than the time required for an electron density of the discharge within the lamp envelope to substantially decrease.

Methods and systems for producing a change in a medium. A first method and system (1) place in a vicinity of the medium at least one upconverter including a gas for plasma ignition, with the upconverter being configured, upon exposure to initiation energy, to generate light for emission into the medium, and (2) apply the initiation energy from an energy source including the first wavelength .sub.1 to the medium, wherein the emitted light directly or indirectly produces the change in the medium. A second method and system (1) place in a vicinity of the medium an agent receptive to microwave radiation or radiofrequency radiation, and (2) apply as an initiation energy the microwave radiation or radiofrequency radiation by which the agent directly or indirectly generates emitted light in the infrared, visible, or ultraviolet range to produce at least one of physical and biological changes in the medium.

A ballast circuit for a lighting system using an induction fluorescent lamp utilizes an AC-DC rectification circuit, a DC-DC boost power conversion circuit, a DC-AC half bridge inverter circuit, and a resonating circuit to ignite the lamp and maintain substantially constant power output of the lamp, while the DC-AC half bridge inverter circuit is further comprised of a gate isolation transformer connected in a half bridge inverter schematic which uses a ballast integrated circuit (IC) to drive a high side MOSFET and a low side MOSFET and the gate isolation transformer electrically isolates a gate signal to the high side MOSFET.

A method and apparatus for generating light includes a chamber having a high voltage region, a low voltage region, and a plasma generation region that defines a plasma confinement region. A magnetic core is positioned around the chamber and is configured to generate a plasma in the plasma confinement region. A switched power supply includes a DC power supply and a switched resonant charging circuit that together generate a plurality of voltage pulses at the output causing a plurality of current pulses to be applied to the power delivery section around the magnetic core so that at least one plasma loop is established around the magnetic core that confines plasma in the plasma confinement region, thereby forming a magnetically confined Z-pinch plasma. Light generated by the Z-pinch plasma propagates out of a port in the light source.

A sanitization apparatus includes an excimer lamp and a power converter. The power converter comprises a wide band gap device and a planar inductor. The wide band gap device is selectively switchable between a first mode wherein the inductor is electrically charged and a second mode wherein the inductor is electrically discharged. The wide band gap may be repeatedly switched between the first and second modes to generate a nano second pulse output voltage waveform.