Abstract

Laser-produced plasmas have been shown to be excellent laboratory sources of continuum radiation in the XUV and soft x-ray spectral region (10-1000 Å). We present high-resolution photographic and photoelectric spectra of the continua between 40 and 500 A, comparing different target materials for cleanliness and relative intensity of the continua. Photographic spectra have been obtained on a 10.7-m grazing incidence spectrograph and a 6.67-m normal incidence spectrograph and a photoelectric spectra obtained with a 1.5-m grazing incidence spectrograph using a multichannel detector array. Spectra have been obtained using both a Nd:YAG (10-Hz) laser and a ruby (0.1-Hz) laser. The XUV output is characterized by excellent intensity stability, high intensity, and an almost line-free continuum. A comparison with other short wavelength light sources is given. The source has been used for atomic absorption spectroscopy of ground state and excited state neutral atoms and for ground state atomic ions by placing samples in a metal vapor heat pipe and using a resonant dye laser for excitation and ionization of the atomic vapor. Inner shell absorption spectra of Ca, Ca⁺, and other atomic systems are presented.

© 1985 Optical Society of America