OPTIMAL X-RAY SOURCE DEVELOPMENT IN THE SPECTRAL RANGE 4-14 ANGSTROM USING A ND-YAG HIGH-POWER LASER

An experimental study was performed to find the optimal conditions for generating a few nanoseconds x-ray pulse source in the wavelength ran ge 4-14 Angstrom. X rays were emitted in a high-temperature plasma, wh ich was created as the result of the interaction of a high power laser with a solid target. The experiments were done using 3-15 J, 1-10 ns, 1.06 mu m pulses generated with a Nd:YAG laser. The x-ray yield and s pectral distributions were studied as a function of thr laser energy, temporal pulse width, pulse shape, and target material. For example, f or samarium under optimal conditions, about 20% of the laser energy wa s converted into x rays in the wavelength range 8-12 Angstrom. (C) 199 6 American Institute of Physics.