Abstract

The use of rectangular-element random phase plates to generate a line focus is described. Photographic records of the resultant focus are presented and compared with theoretical calculations made by using an interference code. Good agreement is found. The code is used to investigate possible design modifications to produce a more square-topped line focus. A 12-ps Raman-shifted KrF (λ = 0.268 μm) laser pulse is used in combination with such plates to produce a laser plasma. The plasma conditions are extensively characterized by using time-resolved extreme UV spectroscopy and a pinhole camera, and their suitability for x-ray laser applications is discussed.

© 1992 Optical Society of America

High-aspect-ratio line focus for an x-ray laser by a deformable mirror

Geun-Young Yoon, Takahisa Jitsuno, Yoshiaki Kato, and Masahiro Nakatsuka
Appl. Opt. 36(4) 847-852 (1997)

Handling of quasi-Gaussian beams by phase plates: far-field simulation

V. Biancalana and P. Chessa
Appl. Opt. 33(16) 3465-3477 (1994)

Random phase plates for beam smoothing on the Nova laser

S. N. Dixit, I. M. Thomas, B. W. Woods, A. J. Morgan, M. A. Henesian, P. J. Wegner, and H. T. Powell
Appl. Opt. 32(14) 2543-2554 (1993)

Doppler-shifted line profiles from spherically expanding plasmas

J. C. Moreno, S. Goldsmith, and H. R. Griem
J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 9(3) 339-343 (1992)

Improving plasma uniformity in Z-pinch-driven neonlike krypton x-ray lasers

J. W. Thornhill, J. Davis, J. P. Apruzese, and R. Clark
Appl. Opt. 31(24) 4940-4949 (1992)