Abstract

The requirements and techniques for time- and space-resolved picosecond probing of laser-produced plasmas are reviewed. The design and limitations of a holographic microinterferometer are discussed, and optical pulse techniques are presented. This technique can provide significant data for understanding the absorption of energy within laser-produced plasmas. The primary requirements are to measure the electron densities in the 10²⁰–10²¹-e/cc range, with density contour velocities of 10⁶ to 10⁷ cm/sec and spatial resolution of 1 μm or better. For these velocities one requires a probe pulse duration of 3–30 psec, an UV wavelength as short as feasible, and large numerical aperture optics corrected for spherical aberration. Interferograms of laser-produced plasmas obtained at 2660 Å with a combined resolution of 1 μm and 15 psec are presented.

© 1980 Optical Society of America

Holographic microinterferometer to study laser-produced plasmas

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Appl. Opt. 19(2) 192_1-194 (1980)

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TIR-1 carbon dioxide laser system for fusion

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