Ultrahigh-brightness KrF laser system for fast ignition studies

• Published in: Fusion engineering and design Vol. 44; no. 1; pp. 209 - 214
• Main Authors: Shaw, M.J, Ross, I.N, Hooker, C.J, Dodson, J.M, Hirst, G.J, Lister, J.M.D, Divall, E.J, Kidd, A.K, Hancock, S, Damerell, A.R, Wyborn, B.E
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.02.1999; New York, NY Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Controled nuclear fusion plants; Energy; Energy. Thermal use of fuels; Exact sciences and technology; Fast igniter laser beam; Fueling, heating and ignition; Installations for energy generation and conversion: thermal and electrical energy; Physics; Physics of gases, plasmas and electric discharges; Physics of plasmas and electric discharges; Plasma production and heating; Plasma production and heating by laser beams; Raman amplifiers; TITANIA; Ultrahigh brightness; Ultrahigh brightness; Raman amplifiers; Fast igniter laser beam; TITANIA; Brightness; Fast starting; Ignition; Raman effect; Amplifiers; Experimental study; Laser beams; Titania; Krypton fluoride lasers
• ISSN: 0920-3796; 1873-7196
• DOI: 10.1016/S0920-3796(98)00361-5

The main requirements for a fast igniter laser beam are reviewed and shown to favour short wavelength and ultrahigh brightness. These requirements are met by the new KrF laser system at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory called TITANIA. TITANIA uses two schemes to enhance the laser beam brightness. The first is chirped pulse amplification which is used to enhance brightness by compressing the pulse into the femtosecond region. In this mode TITANIA produces in the region of 250 mJ on target in 700 fs. The second mode of operation uses a Raman technique for beam combining and beam clean-up which is designed to give a single beam of 80 joules on target in a pulselength of 60 ps. In this scheme the KrF wavelength is Raman shifted to 268 nm. The Raman amplifiers will use gaseous rather than solid windows and experiments which demonstrate their feasibility will be described. A concept for a reactor scale fast igniter beam using the Raman technique will be discussed.