High Resolution X-Ray Laser Backlighting of Plasmas Using Spatial Filtering Technique

Abstract

We developed and experimentally demonstrated a novel X-ray laser backlighting technique based on spatial filtering, which allows to dramatically reduce the contribution of plasma self-emission. This technique was used for probing of plasmas relevant to Ne-like and Ni-like lasers schemes. We report on measurements of 2D electron density profiles of line plasmas produced under conditions corresponding to X-ray laser amplifiers operating in TCE and QSS regimes. The probed plasmas were produced on 1-mm long targets by ̃300-ps long laser pulses of 1.3 μm light, at intensities of up to 4×10¹³ Wcm⁻². The investigated plasmas were actively probed by Ne-like Zn laser, delivering multimillijoule output at 21.2 nm.