US 2006/0140227 A1Published application

Increased laser output energy and average power at wavelengths below 35 nm

AssigneeColorado State University Research Foundation

InventorsJorge Rocca, David Alessi, Bradley Luther, Mark Berrill, Miguel Larotonda, Yong Wang

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

Saturated tabletop lasers having increased output energy and operating at 5 Hz repetition rate, were demonstrated at wavelengths about 18.9 nm for molybdenum targets, 16.4 nm for ruthenium targets, 14.7 nm for palladium targets, 13.9 nm for silver targets, and 13.2 nm for cadmium targets in transitions of nickel-like ions. The results were obtained using a sequence of two, plasma-generating pre-pulses, each having sub-Joule energy followed after a selected delay period by picosecond laser plasma excitation pulses having with an energy of about 1 J at angles of incidence optimized for maximum energy deposition.

Claims36

Dependent claims

A method for generating soft x-ray laser radiation comprising the steps of:

(a) directing at least one first laser pulse having a first chosen energy and a first chosen pulse width onto an exposed surface of a target comprising selected atoms at a first angle to the normal to the surface effective for generating an expanding plasma in the vicinity of the surface comprising ions of the selected atoms;
(b) directing a second laser pulse having a second chosen energy and a second chosen pulse width onto the surface of the selected target at a second angle to the normal to the surface effective for increasing the degree of ionization of the ions of the expanding plasma, at a first chosen time after said step of directing at least one first laser pulse onto the target;
and
(c) directing a plasma excitation pulse having a third chosen energy and a third chosen pulse width into the plasma at a third chosen angle to the normal to the surface of the target effective for producing a population inversion in the ions of the plasma, the third chosen angle being greater than 40°, and at a second chosen time after said step of directing a second laser pulse onto the target, whereby soft x-ray laser radiation is generated.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.