The research is concerned with switching : of microchannel-plate (MCP) image-intensifier tubes to provide short-duration optical gating. The most suitable switching arrangement employs distributed-element (DE) bipolar transistors operating in the trapped-plasma avalanche-triggered transit (TRAPATT) mode. Isolation and interconnection of stages can be achieved in part by using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) to produce selective epitaxial growth (SEG) patterns. Simultaneous triggering of several devices can be enhanced by the use of integrated SiGe technology. The enhancements include increased gain using heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBT) and the capability for galvanic isolation using band-folded photodetector diodes. In order to establish operating parameters, a discrete-component gating system was developed. PSpice simulation was used to evaluate tandem-switch behaviour, based on single-device parameters, for a system including a non-linear transmission line (NLTL) to decrease the leading-edge fall-time, a low frequency absorber (LFA) and a load. The repetitive structures in the tandem configuration make the MBE integration process potentially attractive.