Journal
PROCEEDINGS OF THE IEEE
Volume 92, Issue 7, Pages 1043-1056Publisher
IEEE-INST ELECTRICAL ELECTRONICS ENGINEERS INC
DOI: 10.1109/JPROC.2004.829051
Keywords
electron beam pumped lasers; excimer laser; field emission cathode; inertial fusion energy (IFE); krypton fluoride (KrF) lasers; pulsed power; solid-state pulsed power
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High-energy electron beam pumped krypton fluoride (KrF) gas lasers are an attractive choice for inertial fusion energy (IFE). Their short wavelength and demonstrated high beam uniformity optimizes the laser-target physics, and their pulsed power technology scales to a large system. This paper presents the principals of this type of laser and the progress toward developing technologies that can meet the IFE requirements for repetition rate (5 Hz), efficiency (>6%), and durability (>3 x 10(8) shots). The Electra laser at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) has produced > 500 J of laser light in short 5-Hz bursts. Research on Electra and the NRL Nike laser (3000 J, single shot) has shown that the overall efficiency should be greater than 7%. This is based on recent advances in electron beam stabilization and transport, electron beam deposition, KrF laser physics, and pulsed power. The latter includes the development of a new solid-state laser triggered switch that will be the basis for a pulsed power system that can meet the IFE requirements for efficiency, durability, and cost. The major remaining challenge is to develop long-loved hibachi foils (e-beam transmission windows). Based on recent experiments, this may be achievable by periodically deflecting the laser gas.
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