US4630274A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for generating short intensive pulses of electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength range below about 100 nm
Assignee: Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften eV
•
Filing: 1984-11-20
•
Granted: 1986-12-16
•
Expires: 2004-11-20
Abstract
Abstract In a method and an apparatus for generating a hot plasma which emits elecmagnetic radiation in the wavelength range below about 100 nm in a predetermined volume, in which a laser radiation pulse of short duration with sufficient energy and power density is focused into the volume containing a target material, the laser radiation energy which is necessary for generating the plasma emitting the radiation is radiated into the target volume by a focused laser radiation pulse which is shorter than one picosecond. The method may be used in ASE X-ray laser comprising an axicon focusing optics.
Inventors
- 👤 Fritz P. Schafer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 15:08
CPC Classifications
H; H05; H05G; H05G2/00; H05G2/001; H05G2/008; H05G2/0082; H05G2/0086; B; B23; B23K; B23K26/00; B23K26/02; B23K26/06; B23K26/062; B23K26/0622; B23K26/0624; B23K26/064; B23K26/0652; G; G21; G21B; G21B1/00; G21B1/11; G21B1/23; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E30/00; Y02E30/10
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
155 words
Apparatus for generating short duration pulses of high intensity electromagnetic radiation in a wavelength range of approximately 100 to 0.01 nanometers emanating from a source of predetermined volume, comprising: an input laser emitting laser radiation pulses of given irradiation intensity and energy, each of said radiation pulses having a given maximum cross-sectional dimension D, and a duration of less than one picosecond; an optical focusing system for focusing each laser radiation pulse into a predetermined focal volume, at the focus of the optical system, said focal volume having dimensions substantially smaller than the maximum laser pulse dimension D, to irradiate said focal volume at a substantially higher irradiation intensity than said given irradiation intensity; and a target, having a volume approximating said predetermined focal volume, positioned at the focus of said optical system, the target comprising a material which generates a hot plasma emitting radiation in said wavelength range when irradiated at said higher intensity.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
155 words
Apparatus for generating short duration pulses of high intensity electromagnetic radiation in a wavelength range of approximately 100 to 0.01 nanometers emanating from a source of predetermined volume, comprising: an input laser emitting laser radiation pulses of given irradiation intensity and energy, each of said radiation pulses having a given maximum cross-sectional dimension D, and a duration of less than one picosecond; an optical focusing system for focusing each laser radiation pulse into a predetermined focal volume, at the focus of the optical system, said focal volume having dimensions substantially smaller than the maximum laser pulse dimension D, to irradiate said focal volume at a substantially higher irradiation intensity than said given irradiation intensity; and a target, having a volume approximating said predetermined focal volume, positioned at the focus of said optical system, the target comprising a material which generates a hot plasma emitting radiation in said wavelength range when irradiated at said higher intensity.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
35 words
Apparatus for generating high intensity short duration pulses of electromagnetic radiation according to claim 1, in which the input laser is a distributed-feedback laser operating in the UVrange and is coupled to a pulse compressor.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
39 words
Apparatus for generating high intensity short duration pulses of electromagnetic radiation according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which the optical focusing system converts each laser radiation pulse from an incident plane wave to a convergent spherical wave.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
Apparatus for generating high intensity short duration pulses of electromagnetic radiation according to claim 3, in which the optical focusing system is a microscope optical system with a numeric aperture above 0.4
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
30 words
Apparatus for generating high intensity short duration pulses of electromagnetic radiation according to claim 2 or claim 3 in which the optical focusing system includes at least one axicon element.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus for generating high intensity short duration pulses of electromagnetic radiation according to claim 5 in which the focusing optical system includes a reflection axicon element.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
43 words
Apparatus for generating high intensity short duration pulses of electromagnetic radiation according to claim 6 in which the focusing optical system includes a refraction axicon element having an axial bore through which target material is supplied to the focus of the axicon element.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
66 words
Apparatus for generating high intensity short duration pulses of electromagnetic radiation according to claim 7 in which the axicon element has a refractive index and a cone angle such that the wavefront of the laser radiation emerging from the axicon element travels along the optical axis of the axicon with a velocity at least approximately equal to the propagation velocity of X-ray radiation in the target.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
34 words
Apparatus for generating high intensity short duration pulses of electromagnetic radiation according to claim 8 in which the focusing optical system includes a first conical axicon followed by a second double truncated cone axicon.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
68 words
Apparatus for generating high intensity short duration pulses of electromagnetic radiation according to claim 9 in which the second axicon has a refractive index and a cone angle such that the wavefront of the laser radiation emerging from said second axicon element travels along the optical axis of said second axicon with a velocity at least approximately equal to the propagation velocity of X-ray radiation in the target.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4514850A
Cited
US4516244A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1989-12-15 | 1990-06-16 | 1990-12-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1993-12-15 | 1994-06-16 | 1994-12-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1997-12-15 | 1998-06-16 | 1998-12-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |