Development of compact soft x-ray lasers

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Project objective

The main goal of this project is to investigate diverse physical schemes for a compact soft X-ray laser operating at high repetition rate which would be suitable for applications where high brightness and coherence is required, such as X-ray interferometry of high-density plasma, microscopy, holography, or lithography. In particular, inversion schemes based on optical field ionization (OFI), charge transfer pumping, and inner-shell photoionization will be investigated experimentally. First, an experiment on detailed characterization (shadowgraphy, optical imaging, off-axis spectroscopy, measurement of divergence and pulse duration) and optimization of the Xe IX and Kr IX OFI X-ray laser at 41.8 nm and 32.8 nm, respectively will be performed using an upgraded version of a gas cell and a supersonic gas jet target. Second, use of gaseous clusters as a novel gain medium will be studied. The possibility of amplification on transitions n = 4-3 and n = 5-3 in Ne VIII, n = 5-3 in N VI at 34.4 nm, and 4d-4p in Xe XXVII at 10 nm will be explored using a cryogenically cooled gas jet and/or mixed gases. Finally, it is planned to participate in the development of a traveling wave optical system which is necessary for successful realization of an inner-shell photoionization X-ray laser on the 2p-1s transition in carbon at 4.5 nm.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

• CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE · PARISCoordinatorFrance

Links

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