A method to evaluate damage in optical elements with the near field of an amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) beam has been developed. Local peak intensities are generally distributed randomly in the near field of a laser beam. The partial coherence of the ASE source results in a very smooth beam profile. The coherence time of ASE is much less than the pulse width. Small-scale intensity modulations can be smoothed out rapidly within the time of a pulse width. In the experiments, ASE is generated from a multifunctional high-performance Nd:glass system, with a pulse duration of 3 ns, a spectral width (full width at half maximum, FWHM) of 1 nm and an adjustable energy range from 1 to 10 J. The damage thresholds of samples induced by ASE are two to three times higher than those induced by a laser with the same size of test spot. Furthermore, the ASE beam has great potential for the detection of defects over a large area and the conditioning of optical elements.

Understanding the radiation model of a flash lamp is essential for the reflector design of a laser amplifier. Reflector design often involves several simplifying assumptions, like a point or Lambertian source; either of these assumptions may lead to significant errors in the output distribution. In practice, source non-idealities usually result in sacrificing the amplifier’s gain coefficient. We propose a novel test technique for attaining the xenon flash lamp absolute spectral intensity at various angles of view, and then accurately predict radiation distributions and generate the reflector shape. It is shown that due to the absorption of emitted radiation by the lamp itself, the behavior of the radiation model at various wavelengths is different. Numerical results of xenon plasma absorption coefficient were compared with the measured data. A reasonable agreement was obtained for the absorption coefficient parameters. Thus, this work provides a useful analytical tool for the engineering design of laser amplifier reflectors using xenon flash lamps as pumps.

A discharge-produced-plasma (DPP) source emitting in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) spectral region is running at the ENEA Frascati Research Centre. The plasma is generated in low-pressure xenon gas and efficiently emits 100-ns duration radiation pulses in the 10–20-nm wavelength range, with an energy of 20 mJ=shot=sr at a 10-Hz repetition rate. The complex discharge evolution is constantly examined and controlled with electrical measurements, while a nsgated CCD camera allowed observation of the discharge development in the visible, detection of time-resolved plasmacolumn pinching, and optimization of the pre-ionization timing. Accurately calibrated Zr-filtered PIN diodes are used to monitor the temporal behaviour and energy emission of the EUV pulses, while the calibration of a dosimetric film allows quantitative imaging of the emitted radiation. This comprehensive plasma diagnostics has demonstrated its effectiveness in suitably adjusting the source configuration for several applications, such as exposures of photonic materials and innovative photoresists.

This paper describes an overview of our recent discovery – clear demonstration that LiF crystals can be efficiently used as a high-performance neutron imaging detector based on optically stimulated luminescence of color centers generated by neutron irradiation. It is shown that the neutron images we have obtained are almost free from granular noise, have a spatial resolution of ～5.4 μm and a linear response with a dynamic range of at least 103. The high contrast and good sensitivity of LiF crystals allow us to distinguish two holes with less than 2% transmittance difference. We propose to use such detectors in areas where high spatial resolution with high image gradation resolution is needed, including diagnostics of different plasma sources such as laser and z-pinch produced plasmas.

Charged particle diagnostics is one of the required techniques for implosion areal density diagnostics at the SG-III facility. Several proton spectrometers are under development, and some preliminary areal density diagnostics have been carried out. The response of the key detector, CR39, to charged particles was investigated in detail. A new track profile simulation code based on a semi-empirical model was developed. The energy response of the CR39 detector was calibrated with the accelerator protons and alphas from a 241Am source. A proton spectrometer based on the filtered CR39 detector was developed, and D–D primary proton measurements were implemented. A step range filter spectrometer was developed, and preliminary areal density diagnostics was carried out. A wedged range filter spectrometer array made of Si with a higher resolution was designed and developed at the SG-III facility. A particle response simulation code by the Monte Carlo method and a spectra unfolding code were developed. The capability was evaluated in detail by simulations.