Abstract

Carbon fibres of a few microns diameter, heated by a Nd:glass laser pulse offer a suitable medium for the generation of gain in the XUV spectral region. Population inversion occurs as recombination is induced by adiabatic cooling in the expansion of the hot fibre. Experimental results and their interpretation using computer modelling have given a good understanding of the underlying physics, and show two regimes of operation: one of high gain places stringent limitations of the uniformity of illumination, the other of lower gain of the length of cylindrical focus.

© 1984 Optical Society of America