Effects of excitation laser wavelength on Ly-α and He-α line emission from nitrogen plasmas

Laser-produced nitrogen plasmas emitting radiation at 2.48 nm (Ly-alpha) and 2.88 nm (He-alpha) are considered potential efficient sources for water-window (WW) microscopy. The atomic and optical properties of nitrogen plasma and influence of the laser wavelength on the line emission in the WW range are investigated. It is found that the optimal temperatures for maximum emission from Ly-alpha and He-alpha spectral lines are 40-60 eV and 80-100 eV, respectively. The WW line emission and the conversion efficiency (CE) are estimated for three distinct Nd:YAG laser wavelengths (1064 nm, 532 nm, and 266 nm). The calculated CEs are compared with experimentally observed CE values. It is found that 1064 nm wavelength provides the highest CE from laser to Ly-alpha and He-alpha radiation. (C) 2013 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4775725]