Toward compact and ultra-intense laser-based soft x-ray lasers. (7th November 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sebban, S; Depresseux, A; Oliva, E; Gautier, J; Tissandier, F; Nejdl, J; Kozlova, M; Maynard, G; Goddet, J P; Tafzi, A; Lifschitz, A; Kim, H T; Jacquemot, S; Rousseau, P; Zeitoun, P; Rousse, A
• Is Part Of: Plasma physics and controlled fusion. Volume 60:Number 1(2018:Jan.)
• Publication Date: 2017-11-07
• Subjects: XUV lasers -- ultrafast laser -- coherent radiation -- optical field ionized plasmas; Plasma (Ionized gases) -- Periodicals; Controlled fusion -- Periodicals; 530.44
• DOI: 10.1088/1361-6587/aa8aaf
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0741-3335

Abstract

Abstract: We report here recent work on an optical field ionized (OFI), high-order harmonic-seeded EUV laser. The amplifying medium is a plasma of nickel-like krypton obtained by OFI when focusing a 1 J, 30 fs, circularly-polarized, infrared pulse into a krypton-filled gas cell or krypton gas jet. The lasing transition is the 3d 9 4d ( J = 0) → 3d 9 4p ( J = 1) transition of Ni-like krypton ions at 32.8 nm and is pumped by collisions with hot electrons. The gain dynamics was probed by seeding the amplifier with a high-order harmonic pulse at different delays. The gain duration monotonically decreased from 7 ps to an unprecedented shortness of 450 fs full width at half-maximum as the amplification peak rose from 150 to 1200 with an increase of the plasma density from 3 × 10 18 to 1.2 × 10 20 cm −3 . The integrated energy of the EUV laser pulse was also measured, and found to be around 2 μ J. It is to be noted that in the ASE mode, longer amplifiers were achieved (up to 2 cm), yielding EUV outputs up to 14 μ J.