Abstract

The two final amplifiers of the Nike laser are both electron-beam-pumped systems. The smaller of the two has a 20-cm × 20-cm aperture. This 20-cm amplifier uses a single 12-W Marx generator to produce two 300-kV, 75-kA, 120-ns flat-top electron beams that are injected into opposite sides of the laser cell. We have verified with Faraday cups, pressure-jump diagnostics, and dosimetry media that the energy deposition and pumping uniformity meet the laser requirements and that the energy-transmission efficiency from the cathode to the laser cell is around 50%. Using the observed deposition, we have employed our own models to accurately predict the observed gain of the input laser pulse.

© 1995 Optical Society of America