APPLICATION OF A SYNCHRONIZED ULTRASHORT Nd:GLASS LASER PULSE TO THE DIAGNOSIS OF CO2 LASER-PRODUCED PLASMAS.

Abstract

An actively mode-locked Nd:glass ring laser sytem was developed to produce a single 200 ps, 1. 06 mu m pulse synchronized to an intense 1 ns duration CO//2 laser pulse. By controlling the build-up of the ring laser pulse and phase locking the modulators of both lasers, synchronization of output pulses to better than 400 ps has been achieved. This arrangement permits optical diagnosis of the time development of the CO//2 laser produced plasmas. The second harmonic of the Nd:glass laser pulse is used in interferometric measurements of the electron density and Faraday rotation studies of the spontaneous magnetic field in the CO//2 laser produced plasmas on solid targets. The systems are described together with some preliminary results. Show more