OPTIMIZATION OF DRIVE PULSE CONFIGURATION FOR A NI-LIKE SN X-RAY LASER AT 12 NM

The current saturated operation of X-ray lasers at wavelengths > 15 nm requires at least kilojoule drive energy, which is only available at the largest laser installations in the world, Using a specially design ed drive pulse configuration, saturated operation of a Ni-like Sn X-ra y laser at 12 nm has been achieved with only 75 J drive energy, An eff iciency as high as 9 x 10(6) in converting laser energy from the 1 eV optical spectral range to the 100 eV soft X-ray range has been reached , This paves the way for applications of saturated X-ray lasers at 12 nm at many other smaller laboratories. (C) 1997 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.