LAYOUT AND PERFORMANCE OF THE ASTERIX-IV IODINE LASER AT MPQ, GARCHING

In this paper, the design procedure and the performance of the single beam Asterix IV high-power iodine laser emitting at lambda = 1315 nm i s described. It has been developed on the basis of a 10-years experien ce with the 1 TW Asterix III laser-system and with the support of a 1- D and a 3-D pulse propagation code. Special emphasis has been put on a chieving a high overall system efficiency and a beam intensity profile as homogeneous as possible. Presently, Asterix IV provides output pul ses with durations from 0.2 to several ns. At a duration of 0.4 ns, th e pulse power is 3 TW and at a duration of 5 ns the pulse energy reach es 2.1 kJ. Under these conditions, the laser can be fired every twenty minutes.