Future Directions of Laboratory X-Ray Laser Research,
Abstract
We explore ways to make laboratory x-ray lasers and their applications more accessible to a wider community of users. This includes optical pump facilities that are affordable due to progress in optical laser technologies, from nsec 1KJ sources, to 100 fsec 1J tabletop sources. Based on these possibilities, the future for x-ray lasers seems bright. X-ray lasers(XRLs) produced in the laboratory hold great promise for applications such as holography of wet biological samples, probing of high density plasmas, and non-linear x-ray optics. Many current XRLs are pumped by very high power, high energy optical lasers. An important example is the recent achievement of gain-length products exceeding 8 with the Ni-like (Ta and W), 4d-4p x-ray laser scheme at wavelengths just inside and just outside the water window, near the carbon K edge at 43.7 A which are optimal for x-ray holography. This achievement required the utilization of two of the ten arms of Nova, the world's most powerful laser, to pump the exploding foils that served as the amplification medium. If applications of x-ray lasers are to become a wavelength lasing using more user friendly and less costly facilities.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 22, 1992
- Accession Number
- ADP007052
Entities
People
- Mordecai D. Rosen
Organizations
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory