Laser-Driven Soft X-Ray Lasing in Copper and Germanium Plasmas

Abstract

Soft x-ray lasing has been achieved for the first time on 3p-3s transitions in neon-like copper (Cu19+) and germanium (Gezz+). The elongated lasant plasma was produced using the NRL Pharos 111 laser operating at X = 1.05 pm, 300-480 J with a pulse duration of 2 ns. Lasing was observed in the wavelength interval 196 to 286 A for J = 2 -1 and J = 0 -1 lines, using both thin film and thick slab targets.