Abstract
Analytic expressions are obtained for the saturation intensity in X-ray laser schemes based on short-pulse high-intensity drivers. For field-ionized plasma schemes, the specific mean saturation intensityJ sat is time independent and depends only on atomic transition probabilities, level degeneracies, and transition energies. The analytic expression is found to be in good agreement with a detailed numerical calculation. Integrating over space and frequency gives a saturation intensityI sat of order 2 × 1011 W/cm2 for lasing in Li-like Ne at 98 Å. The low input energy requirements for this scheme (< 1 J), associated with using a confocal geometry, give energy efficiencies of order 10−6 and greater. For inner-shell photo-ionization schemes, an accurate expression for a time-dependent saturation intensity is obtained. This scheme is calculated to have high saturation intensities,I sat ≈ 1013 W/cm2, at short wavelengths (5–15 Å). The requirement of a line focus geometry leads to higher input energies (≥5 J) and the short duration of lasing (≤50 fs) results in lower energy efficiencies (≈ 10−7). Repetition rates are important in determining appropriate applications for both schemes.
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