Photoionization-pumped short-wavelength lasers
The process of photoionization can create population inversions in highly-excited ions on transitions at short wavelengths. A laser produced plasma can be used as a bright x-ray source to produce laser action on these transitions. This thesis discusses the first demonstration and the analysis of a new type of photoionization-pumped laser. In addition, future prospects for photoionization-pumped x-ray lasers are discussed. A review of proposed mechanisms for creating photoionization pumped lasers is presented along with a review of the physics of x-ray lasers. Following this is a discussion of the first experimental demonstration of two short-wavelength lasers. The demonstration of these lasers depended on proper experimental design to limit the deleterious effects of amplified spontaneous emission on the systems. Modeling of the laser dynamics is in good agreement with experiment. A novel experimental setup was used to measure the lifetimes of the relevant atomic levels. This setup used a Q-switched and mode locked laser to create a high repetition rate plasma x-ray source. The technique of time-correlated photon counting was used to measure the lifetimes of the upper and lower laser levels, with results of 4.75 {plus minus} 0.15 and 20.5 {plus minus} 2 nsec for xenon, and 2.0 {plus minus} 0.1 and 4.5 {plus minus} 0.3 nsec for krypton. Neutral-gas collisional quenching coefficients and fluorescence branching ratios were also measured. Finally, a scheme to create an x-ray laser on the K-{alpha} transitions of light atoms and molecules is developed. The population inversion would be created by an ultra fast laser plasma x-ray source.
- Research Organization:
- California Univ., Berkeley, CA (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 6183676
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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