Overview of `Super-ASHURA' KrF Laser Program

• Published in: Fusion engineering and design Vol. 44; no. 1; pp. 91 - 96
• Main Authors: Owadano, Y, Okuda, I, Matsumoto, Y, Matsushima, I, Takahashi, E, Miura, E, Yashiro, H, Tomie, T, Kuwahara, K, Shinbo, M
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.02.1999; New York, NY Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Circuit properties; Electric, optical and optoelectronic circuits; Electronic circuits; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Irradiation smoothness; Multi-pass forward amplification; Oscillators, pulse generators, and function generators; Oscillators, resonators, synthetizers; Other confinement methods; Physics; Physics of gases, plasmas and electric discharges; Physics of plasmas and electric discharges; Power pulse generation; Saturated backward amplification; Super-ASHURA KrF laser; Multi-pass forward amplification; Super-ASHURA KrF laser; Saturated backward amplification; Irradiation smoothness; Power pulse generation; Amplification; Smoothing methods; Raman effect; Irradiation; Experimental study; Power pulse generator; Krypton fluoride lasers
• ISSN: 0920-3796; 1873-7196
• DOI: 10.1016/S0920-3796(98)00350-0

In the Super-ASHURA KrF Laser at ETL, a main amplifier with full pumping duration (270 ns) and 12 beam lines have been completed. At present, total output energy of 2.7 kJ has been extracted from the main amplifier by double-pass amplified 12 beams (20 ns×12) with an aperture filling factor of 74%. Local intrinsic efficiency has reached 10%. In the Raman amplification which is to be used for high peak power pulse generation, multi-pass forward amplification of nanosecond Stokes pulse showed an energy conversion efficiency of 73%. Also, a multi-joule short Stokes pulse (150 ps) has been obtained from 12.5 J, and 20 ns pulse by saturated backward amplification of a self-generated Stokes pulse. To investigate the effect of irradiation smoothness, the two-dimensional profile of the target rear surface displacement has been measured by using short (<100 ps) 268 nm probe pulse.