High Power CO2 Laser System “FOKUS” for Laser Produced Plasma Applications

Abstract

A heavy-ion beam injector is being developed at the accelerator facility of the Kurchatov complex of theoretical and experimental physics at the National Research Centre “Kurchatov Institute” according to the thematic plan. The injector consists of a laser-plasma ion source and a linear accelerator. Ion beams are extracted from laser-produced plasmas created by irradiating solid targets with high intensity CO₂ laser pulses and matched into a linear accelerator with a low-energy beam transport system. The plan envisages the use of the laser plasma ion source with already commissioned linear accelerators I-3 and I-4. This work describes physical principles of the production of laser pulses with stabilized temporal and spatial properties, and the design of the repetition rate CO₂ laser system FOKUS, which is currently in operation at the accelerator facility of the Kurchatov complex of theoretical and experimental physics, and can be successfully used with other accelerators.