https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2006-00154-7
Longitudinal coherence and spectral profile of a nickel-like silver transient soft X-ray laser
1
LIXAM, Université Paris Sud, Campus d'Orsay, bâtiment 350, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France
2
LCFIO, Institut d'Optique, Campus d'Orsay, bâtiment 503, 91403 Orsay Cedex, France
Corresponding author: a o_guilbaud@yahoo.fr
Received:
15
December
2005
Revised:
16
March
2006
Published online:
30
June
2006
The spectral width of a Ni-like silver transient soft X-ray laser (4d-4p λ= 13.9 nm) was experimentally inferred from the measurement of its temporal coherence, performed with a novel wavefront division interferometer. The measured coherence time of 3 ps corresponds to a spectral linewidth of 0.7 mÅ which is narrow. We compare this experimental result to numerical simulations of the amplified line profile, performed along two different approaches. Both calculations predict a spectral linewidth that is about 3 times larger than the experimental value. We discuss several effects that might explain this discrepancy. We show that, due to the short duration of the X-ray laser pulse, the assumption of a stationary electromagnetic field used in both the experimental analysis and in the calculations need to be reconsidered.
PACS: 42.55.Vc – X- and gamma-ray lasers / 52.50.Jm – Plasma production and heating by laser beams (laser-foil, laser-cluster, etc.) / 32.30.Rj – X-ray spectra
© EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag, 2006