High power laser development and experimental applications to X-ray lasers, and short pulse energy transport

Journal article

University research in the UK with high power lasers is carried out at the SERC's Central Laser Facility with a multi-terawatt neodymium glass laser, VULCAN, and a developmental KrF laser, SPRITE. These systems are briefly described together with the design of a new KrF laser to supersede VULCAN. The new laser design, SUPERSPRITE, is based on optical and Raman multiplexing which is being developed with the present SPRITE system. The specification of SUPERSPRITE is for 3.5 kJ in 1 ns and a peak power of 300 TW in short pulses. The new technology is seen as highly cost effective in relation to neodymium glass lasers. A resume of the development of XUV lasers in the UK in collaboration with laboratories overseas is given. The physics of energy transport in short pulses is fundamental to the extrapolation of recombination lasers to shorter wavelengths and is being studied from a more basic standpoint using both the VULCAN and SPRITE facilities. Some details of this work are given.

Authors: Key, M; Baldis, H; Brown, D; Grande, M; Hooker, C

• Journal: Laser and Particle Beams
• Volume: 8
• Issue: 1-2
• Pages: 19-25
• Publication date: 1990-01-01
• ISSN: 0263-0346
• Language: English