Large area electron beam pumped krypton fluoride laser amplifier
- Plasma Physics Division, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington DC 20375 (United States)
- Research Support Instruments, 4325-B Forbes Boulevard, Lanham, Maryland 20706 (United States)
- Science Applications International Corporation, 1710 Goodridge Drive, McLean, Virginia 22102 (United States)
- PLEX Corporation, 21 Addington Road, Brookline, Massachusetts 02146 (United States)
- Pulse Sciences, Incorporated, 600 McCormick Street, San Leandro, California 94577 (United States)
- Pharos Technical Enterprises, 1603 Barcelona Street, Livermore, California 94550 (United States)
Nike is a recently completed multi-kilojoule krypton fluoride (KrF) laser that has been built to study the physics of direct drive inertial confinement fusion. This paper describes in detail both the pulsed power and optical performance of the largest amplifier in the Nike laser, the 60 cm amplifier. This is a double pass, double sided, electron beam-pumped system that amplifies the laser beam from an input of 50 J to an output of up to 5 kJ. It has an optical aperture of 60 cm {times} 60 cm and a gain length of 200 cm. The two electron beams are 60 cm high {times} 200 cm wide, have a voltage of 640 kV, a current of 540 kA, and a flat top power pulse duration of 250 ns. A 2 kG magnetic field is used to guide the beams and prevent self-pinching. Each electron beam is produced by its own Marx/pulse forming line system. The amplifier has been fully integrated into the Nike system and is used on a daily basis for laser-target experiments. {copyright} {ital 1997 American Institute of Physics.}
- OSTI ID:
- 509123
- Journal Information:
- Review of Scientific Instruments, Vol. 68, Issue 6; Other Information: PBD: Jun 1997
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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