A terawatt-class laser, based on the amplification of subpicosecond pulses in XeCl discharge amplifiers, is described. The system generates 250-mJ, 335-fsec pulses at a sustained 1-Hz repetition rate. Using f/3.7 optics, focal-spot dimensions of 3.4 microm x 4.1 microm are measured for the fully amplified output beam, thus demonstrating a mean focalvolume intensity of 4.6 x 10(18) W/cm(2). With f/l optics, this system is therefore capable of producing a focused intensity of 6.4 x 10(19) W/cm(2).
We have varied the x-ray flux used to preionize a discharge-pumped XeCl laser. With a laser gas pressure of 4 atm, as little as 10−4 rad (∼7×10−9 J/cm2) of 20–40-kV x rays was found to be sufficient for effectively stabilizing the discharge. The discharge was highly uniform and the laser yielded ∼5 J/l specific energy. This represented a 35% improvement over the performance of the same laser with UV preionization.
Because short wavelength lasers are attractive for inertial confinement fusion (ICF) , the Department of Energy is sponsoring work at Los Alamos and the Naval Research Laboratory in KrF laser technology. The Los Alamos National Laboratory is investigating the feasibility of high-power KrF lasers as future ICF drivers. The Aurora Laser System is an end-to-end technology demonstration prototype for large-scale KrF laser systems employing optical angular multiplexing and serial amplification by electron beam driven KrF laser amplifiers. During the last year integration of the Aurora Laser System has been completed and the system has entered the initial operational phase by delivering kilojoule level shots to target. In this paper the current configuration of the system is described and its performance is reported.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.