High-repetition-rate electron-beam-pumped KrF laser technology for inertial-fusion-energy drivers

The development of a high-repetition-rate (rep-rate) electron-beam (e-beam) -pumped KrF laser is described. In this study, we aim to achieve pulsed las er outputs of 20J/80ns at a rep rate of 1 Hz. The key issues are heat manag ement in the diode foils and introduction of long-lifetime switches into th e pulsed-power system. E-beam generation experiments have been started with initial test results of twenty consecutive shots at 1 Hz. Improvement in t he energy-transfer efficiency in the rep-rate pulsed-power systems is also discussed.