Abstract
The characterization of the laser beam intensity distribution of a highly saturated 46.9-nm soft X-ray laser excited by capillary discharges is reported. The laser produces a total output energy of 300 μJ/pulse by amplification in plasma channels having lengths up to 0.45 m. A regime of laser amplification, which is almost free from the effect of the refraction defocusing, is experimentally determined. This regime produces a soft X-ray laser beam with an intense sub-milliradiant component. In the longer active medium the laser intensity distribution reaches the divergence of 0.6 mrad, which approaches the limit of diffraction. A comparison of the experimental results with the simulations performed with a ray-tracing code shows that the small divergence of the beam could be attributed to the effect of a weak index waveguiding of the laser beam through the long plasma channels.
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42.55.Vc; 42.60.Jf
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Ritucci, A., Tomassetti, G., Reale, A. et al. Investigation of a highly saturated soft X-ray amplification in a capillary discharge plasma waveguide. Appl Phys B 78, 965–969 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00340-004-1442-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00340-004-1442-5