Abstract
A soft-x-ray laser utilizing electron pickup by a stripped nucleus is proposed. A particular example using electron exchange between hydrogen and an particle is analyzed and is shown to produce inversion between the and levels giving stimulated emission at 304 Å. In this scheme the particles are swept along the target at the speed of light. The cross sections involved in the electron pickup in a hydrogen target and subsequent collisional deexcitation are analyzed to ascertain the optimum target thickness for population inversion. Also the effects of atomic collisions on the stimulated-emission cross section are estimated (Doppler broadening). The dynamics of the beam including focusing and space-charge effects are discussed. The stimulated-emission cross sections for a gas and a solid thin-film target are calculated. For a 30-mA -particle current and a 10-cm lasing length, we estimate gains of 1.1 and 50, respectively.
- Received 9 February 1973
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.11.989
©1975 American Physical Society