High repetition rate collisional soft X-ray lasers based on grazing incidence pumping

LUTHER, B. M.; WANG, Y.; MIGUEL ANTONIO LAROTONDA; ALESSI, D.; BERRILL, M; ROCCA, J. J.; DUNN, J.; SHLYAPTSEV, V. N.

IEEE JOURNAL OF QUANTUM ELECTRONICS

IEEE-INST ELECTRICAL ELECTRONICS ENGINEERS INC

Lugar: 445 HOES LANE, PISCATAWAY, NJ 08855 USA ; Año: 2006 vol. 42 p. 4 - 13

0018-9197

We discuss the demonstration of gain-saturated high repetition rate table-top soft X-ray lasers producing microwatt average powers at wavelengths ranging from 13.9 to 33 nm. The results were obtained heating a precreated plasma with a picosecond optical laser pulse impinging at grazing incidence onto a precreated plasma. This pumping geometry increases the energy deposition efficiency of the pump beam into the gain region, making it possible to saturate soft X-ray lasers in this wavelength range with a short pulse pump energy of only 1 J at 800-mn wavelength. Results corresponding to 5-Hz repetition rate operation of gain-saturated 14.7-nm Ni-like Pd and 32.6-mn line Ne-like Ti lasers pumped by a table-top Ti:sapphire laser are reported. We also discuss results obtained using a 1 omega 1054-mn prepulse and 2 omega 527-nm short pulse from a Nd:glass pump laser. This work demonstrates the feasibility of producing compact high average power soft X-ray lasers for applications.