Soft X-Ray Emission of Laser-Produced Plasmas: Comparison for 30-ps and 20-ns Laser Pulses

Article type: Research Article

Authors: van Brug, H. | van Dorssen, G. E. | van der Wiel, M. J.

Affiliations: Association Euratom-FOM, FOM Institute for Plasma Physics “Rijnhuizen,” Edisonbaan 14, 3439 MN Nieuwegein, The Netherlands

Note: [] Present address: Delft University of Technology, Department of Applied Physics, Lorentzweg 1, 2628 CJ Delft, The Netherlands.

Abstract: Soft x-ray emission spectra (250–875 eV) are presented for plasmas, produced by picosecond and nanosecond frequency-doubled Nd:YAG-glass laser pulses incident on 14 different target materials. The emitted spectra have been corrected for various apparatus functions which enables a direct comparison between plasmas produced by pico- and nanosecond laser pulses. The relative integrated emission intensity as a function of Z number, obtained from the corrected spectra, shows an oscillatory behavior, with distinct maxima for those elements exhibiting a dominant line emission in our photon energy window. We found for our two pulse lengths an approximately equal conversion efficiency from laser light into x-ray photons. General suggestions are given as to what target material should be used for different applications using the laser plasma as x-ray source in the energy range Studied.

DOI: 10.3233/XST-1989-1201

Journal: Journal of X-Ray Science and Technology, vol. 1, no. 2, pp. 121-133, 1989