Simultaneous Measurement of Local Gain and Electron Density in X-ray Lasers

X-ray lasers (XRLs) have experimental average gains that are significantly less than calculated values and a persistently low level of spatial coherence. An XRL has been used both as an injected signal to a short XRL amplifier and as an interferometer beam to measure two-dimensional local gain and d...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 1996-08, Vol.273 (5278), p.1093-1096
Main Authors: Cauble, R., Da Silva, L. B., Barbee, T. W., Celliers, P., Decker, C., London, R. A., Moreno, J. C., Trebes, J. E., Wan, A. S., Weber, F.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amplifiers
Efficiency, stability, gain, and other operational parameters
Electron density
Electrons
Exact sciences and technology
Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications)
Interferometers
Laboratories
Laser beams
Laser optical systems: design and operation
Lasers
Lasing
Measurement
Optics
Physics
Plasma density
Plasmas
Research Design
Selenium
X- and γ-ray lasers
X-ray lasers
X-rays
Yttrium
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Summary:X-ray lasers (XRLs) have experimental average gains that are significantly less than calculated values and a persistently low level of spatial coherence. An XRL has been used both as an injected signal to a short XRL amplifier and as an interferometer beam to measure two-dimensional local gain and density profiles of the XRL plasma with a resolution near 1 micrometer. The measured local gain is in agreement with atomic models but is unexpectedly spatially inhomogeneous. This inhomogeneity is responsible for the low level of spatial coherence observed and helps explain the disparity between observed and simulated gains.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.273.5278.1093