Renewable laser target
AssigneeColorado State University Research Foundation
InventorJorge J. Rocca
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Generation of 2 μW average output power at 13.9 nm from a table-top laser-pumped Ni-like Ag laser operating at 5 Hz repetition rate using a silver-coated helical target which is rotated and advanced such that the target surface is renewed between pulses, is described. Greater than 2×104 soft x-ray laser pulses were obtained using a single target. Similar results were obtained at 13.2 nm for Ni-like Cd using a cadmium-coated target. Uninterrupted operation of laser-pumped soft x-ray lasers at a repetition rates of about 10 Hz for periods of several hours enables the generation of pulsed, high average power soft x-rays for applications. Other embodiments of the renewable laser target are described.
Claims11
A renewable, laser-pumped target for generating soft x-ray radiation, comprising in combination:
- a cylindrical body having an outer surface, an axis of symmetry, a first end and a second end, wherein a helical step having a rectangular cross section and a flat outer surface on which a pump-laser beam target area is defined for a chosen pump-laser beam geometry, is formed in the outer surface of said cylindrical body;
- and
- means for rotating said cylindrical body about the axis of symmetry thereof, and translating said cylindrical body along the axis of symmetry thereof such that the pump-laser beam target area is refreshed while maintaining the chosen pump-laser beam geometry.
A method for generating a renewable, laser-pumped target for generating soft x-ray radiation, comprising the steps of:
- forming a helical step having a rectangular cross section in the outer surface of a cylindrical body on which a pump-laser beam target area is defined for a chosen pump-laser beam geometry, said cylindrical body having an axis of symmetry;
- incrementally rotating said cylindrical body about the axis of symmetry thereof;
- and
- advancing said cylindrical body along the axis of symmetry thereof with each incremental rotation of the cylindrical body, such that the pump-laser beam target area is refreshed while maintaining the chosen pump-laser beam geometry with each incremental rotation of the cylindrical body.
A renewable, laser-pumped laser target for generating soft x-ray radiation, comprising in combination:
- an elongated body having a polygonal cross section with flat faces, an axis of symmetry, and an outer surface on which a pump-laser beam target area is defined for a chosen pump-laser beam geometry;
- means for rotating said elongated body about the axis of symmetry thereof, thereby exposing a different face of the polygon such that the pump-laser beam target area is refreshed while maintaining the chosen pump-laser beam geometry;
- and
- means for translating said elongated body along the axis of symmetry thereof such that the pump-laser beam target area is refreshed while maintaining the chosen pump-laser beam geometry.
A method for generating a renewable laser-pumped target for generating soft x-radiation, comprising the steps of:
- forming an elongated body having a polygonal cross section with flat outer faces on which a pump-laser beam target area is defined for a chosen pump-laser beam geometry, and having an axis of symmetry;
- rotating the elongated body about the axis of symmetry thereof, thereby exposing a different face of the polygon such that the pump-laser beam target area is refreshed while maintaining the chosen pump-laser beam geometry;
- and
- translating the elongated body along the axis of symmetry thereof such that the pump-laser beam target area is refreshed while maintaining the chosen pump-laser beam geometry.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.