Abstract

Laser-produced plasmas have recently received a great deal of interest because of their possible role as a high intensity source of soft x-rays. One method for achieving such a source involves the creation of an inverted population of ionized core states on an ultrashort time scale. Multiphoton ionization of gases with high intensity ultrafast light pulses can result in a cold plasma of highly stripped ions. The electrons recombining into the deeper core states emit soft x-rays.¹ With 100 fs, mJ energy, 616 nm pulses, we are able to both create such a plasma on an ultrashort time scale, and study the rapid collisional and recombination dynamics of the plasma.

© 1990 Optical Society of America