Optical gain at 185 nm in a laser ablated, inner-shell photoionization-pumped indium plasma

Conference · Wed Sep 10 04:00:00 EDT 1986 · AIP Conf. Proc.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5185663

Lacy, R A; Byer, R L; Silfvast, W T; Wood, II, O R; Svanberg, S

Inner-shell photoionization of In/sup +/ ground state ions by a laser-produced plasma broad-band soft X-ray pump source has created a population inversion on the 185 nm 4d/sup 9/ 5s/sup 2/ /sup 2/D/sub 5/2/ ..-->.. 4d/sup 10/ 5p /sup 2/P/sup 0//sub 3/2/ transition in In/sup + +/. A small signal intensity gain of exp(0.38) was measured in a --4 mm path length, yielding a gain coefficient of ..cap alpha..--0.95 cm/sup -1/. The initial population of --10/sup 16/ cm/sup -3/ In/sup +/ ground state ions is prepared by ablating a liquid indium target with a 10 nsec, 100 millijoule (mJ), 532 nm laser pulse yielding a highly ionized indium plasma. The expanding plasma cools and recombines to give the required In/sup +/4d/sup 10/ 5s/sup 2/ population, at which time a 70--100 psec, --50 mJ, 1.06 ..mu..m laser pulse, incident on a nearby tantalum target, generates a hot plasma radiating broad-band soft X-rays. The soft X-rays photoionize inner-shell 4d electrons from the In/sup +/ ions, populating the 4d/sup 9/ 5s/sup 2/ In/sup + +/ state, which is inverted with respect to the nearly empty 4d/sup 10/ 5p state.

• Research Organization: Stanford University, Department of Applied Physics, Stanford, California 94305
• OSTI ID: 5185663
• Report Number(s): CONF-860316-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: AIP Conf. Proc.; (United States) Journal Volume: 147:1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
420300* -- Engineering-- Lasers-- (-1989)
AMPLIFICATION
CHARGED PARTICLES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
FAR ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
GAIN
INDIUM IONS
INNER-SHELL IONIZATION
IONIZATION
IONS
LASER-PRODUCED PLASMA
LASERS
PHOTOIONIZATION
PLASMA
POPULATION INVERSION
RADIATIONS
ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION