Near-field spatial imaging of a Ni-like Ag 140-angstrom x-ray laser

We measure the two-dimensional, near-field spatial distribution of a 140-Angstrom nickel-like silver x-ray laser at the output aperture with high magnification using a curved multilayer x-ray mirror to image the output onto an x-ray charge-coupled device camera. Lasing is created by illuminating silver slab targets with a pair of 75 ps laser pulses separated by 2.2 nsec from the Vulcan laser. The two-dimensional, high-resolution, spatial image shows the x-ray laser source size and its position relative to the target surface. A dramatic change in both the position and source size are observed for the refraction compensating curved target as compared with the flat targets.

Spatial coherence of x-ray laser emission from neonlike germanium after prepulse

The time-integrated spatial coherence of neonlike germanium x-ray laser radiation has been studied with a new dispersing coherence diagnostic. Angle-dependent spatial coherence data are recorded by sampling the diverging beam at each lasing wavelength in several directions simultaneously. Measurements of the spatial coherence, and hence effective source sizes, relevant to the output beams from double-slab targets for the J = 2-1 spectral lines at wavelengths 28.6, 23.6, and 23.2 nm and for the J = 0-1 line at 19.6 nm show differences, which indicate different conditions in the plasma volume amplifying these emissions. Targets are pumped by subnanosecond pulse drivers, with and without a prepulse, but 19.6 nm emission is detected only in the prepulsed case. The differences are discussed in terms of the time evolution of the spectral lines. (C) 1997 Optical Society of America.

The effects of multi-pulse irradiation on X-ray laser media

Multipulse irradiation with 100 ps pulses of stripe Germanium targets is shown to enhance by up to several orders-of-magnitude the output of Ne-like Ge lasing on the J = 0-1 line at 196 Angstrom compared to single pulse pumping. Various pre-pulse and multipulse configurations have been experimentally investigated for irradiances of approximate to 4 x 10(13) W/cm(2) with a 1.06 mu m wavelength pumping laser. The ionisation balance measured by a KeV crystal spectrometer (KAP crystal) has been found to not affect the X-ray laser output. Good agreement between the experimental results and a fluid code incorporating atomic physics, gain and X-ray beam ray tracing is obtained. The code results show that the enhanced X-ray laser output is produced by multipulse irradiation reducing the electron density gradients in the gain region and simultaneously increasing the gain region spatial size. These changes reduce the effect of refraction on the X-ray laser beam propagation.

The influence of prepulse level on the 3p-3s XUV laser output from Ne-like ions of Zn, Cu and Ni

We have studied the effect of prepulses in enhancing the efficiency of generating ASE beams in soft X-ray laser plasma amplifiers based on pumping Ne-like ions, Slab targets were irradiated with a weak prepulse followed by a main plasma heating pulse of nanosecond duration, Time-integrated; time and spectrally resolved and time and angularly resolved lasing emissions on the 3p-3s (J=0-1) XUV lasing lines of Ne-like Ni, Cu and Zn at wavelengths 232 Angstrom 221 Angstrom and 212 Angstrom respectively have been monitored. Measurements were made for pre-pulse/main-pulse intensity ratios from 10(-5)-10(-1) and for pump delay times of 2 ns and 4.5 ns. Zinc is shown to exhibit a peak in output intensity at similar to 2x10(-3) pre-pulse fraction for a 4.5 ns pump delay, with a main pulse pump intensity of similar to 1.3x10(13) W cm(-2) on a 20 mm target. The Zn lasing emission had a duration of similar to 240 ps and this was insensitive to prepulse fraction. The J=0-1 XUV laser output for nickel and copper increased monotonically with prepulse fraction, with copper targets showing least sensitivity to either prepulse level or prepulse to main pulse delay. Under the conditions of the study, the pre-pulse level was observed to haveno significant influence on the output intensity of the 3p-3s (J=2-1) lines of any of the elements investigated.

A time-resolved spectroscopy study of the resonance-line emission in the Ge XXIII XUV laser

A comparison is presented of the temporally resolved resonance-line emission from the Ne-like Ge XUV laser (pumped with nanosecond pulses) with the predictions for the same emission from the hydro-atomic code EHYBRID. The specific lines chosen were the two 3s-2p Ne-like lines at 10.01 and 9.762 Angstrom, and the 3s-2p F-like group of lines in the 9.4-9.6 Angstrom region. Modification of the code to include 112 excited levels of the F-like ion facilitated a direct comparison between experiment and model of (i) the temporal variation of the emissions and (ii) the variation of the peak intensity ratios of the F-like to Ne-like emissions with irradiance on target.

Spectroscopic characterization of prepulsed x-ray laser plasmas

Through the use of time-integrated space-resolved keV spectroscopy, we investigate line plasmas showing gain in Ne-like nickel, copper, and zinc for irradiation using the prepulse technique. The experiments were conducted at 1.06 mu m with the prepulse to main pulse intensity contrast ranging from 10(-6) to 10(-2). The effect of the prepulses on the plasma conditions is inferred through spectroscopic line ratio diagnostics for the electron temperature, the Ne-like ground-state density, and the lateral size of the Ne-like region. It is observed that neither the value of the electronic temperature nor its spatially resolved profile along the linear focus axis varies significantly with the prepulse level, contrary to the lateral width and the density of the Ne-like region in the plasma, which are seen to increase. These results explain, at least in part, why prepulsed x-ray lasers show such high gain and brightness.