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High power laser development and experimental applications to X-ray lasers, and short pulse energy transport

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2009

M. H. Key
Affiliation:
SERC, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot OX11 OQX UK
H. Baldis
Affiliation:
Naval Research Centre, Division of Physics, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
D. Brown
Affiliation:
Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, Dept of Physics, Egham Hill, Surrey TW10 OEX, UK
M. Grande
Affiliation:
SERC, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot OX11 OQX UK
C. Hooker
Affiliation:
SERC, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot OX11 OQX UK
Y. Kato
Affiliation:
ILE University of Osaka, 2–6 Yamada-oka, Osaka 565, Japan
C. Lewis
Affiliation:
Queens University Belfast, Department of Pure and Applied Physics, Belfast BT7 INN, Northern Ireland
P. Norreys
Affiliation:
Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, Dept of Physics, Egham Hill, Surrey TW10 OEX, UK
D. O'Neill
Affiliation:
Queens University Belfast, Department of Pure and Applied Physics, Belfast BT7 INN, Northern Ireland
G. Pert
Affiliation:
University of YorkDepartment of Physics; Heslington, York YO1 5DD
S. Ramsden
Affiliation:
University of Hull, Department of Physics, Cottingham Road, Hull HU6 7RX
C. Regan
Affiliation:
Queens University Belfast, Department of Pure and Applied Physics, Belfast BT7 INN, Northern Ireland
S. Rose
Affiliation:
SERC, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot OX11 OQX UK
I. Ross
Affiliation:
SERC, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot OX11 OQX UK
M. Shaw
Affiliation:
SERC, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot OX11 OQX UK
G. Tallents
Affiliation:
SERC, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot OX11 OQX UK
E. Wooding
Affiliation:
Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, Dept of Physics, Egham Hill, Surrey TW10 OEX, UK

Abstract

University research in the UK with high power lasers is carried out at the SERC's Central Laser Facility with a multi-terawatt neodymium glass laser, VULCAN, and a developmental KrF laser, SPRITE. These systems are briefly described together with the design of a new KrF laser to supersede VULCAN. The new laser design, SUPERSPRITE, is based on optical and Raman multiplexing which is being developed with the present SPRITE system. The specification of SUPERSPRITE is for 3.5 kJ in 1 ns and a peak power of 300 TW in short pulses. The new technology is seen as highly cost effective in relation to neodymium glass lasers. A resume of the development of XUV lasers in the UK in collaboration with laboratories overseas is given. The work is based on laser action through recombination in highly ionized ions and recent progress includes collaborative experiments on the GEKKO XII facility in Japan which have demonstrated laser action at the shortest wavelength to date at 45 A in Mg XII. The physics of energy transport in short pulses is fundamental to the extrapolation of recombination lasers to shorter wavelengths and is being studied from a more basic standpoint using both the VULCAN and SPRITE facilities. Some details of this work are given.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1990

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