William R. Donaldson

Direct‐drive laser‐fusion experiments with the OMEGA, 60‐beam, >40 kJ, ultraviolet laser system

OMEGA, a 60‐beam, 351 nm, Nd:glass laser with an on‐target energy capability of more than 40 kJ, is a flexible facility that can be used for both direct‐ and indirect‐drive targets and is designed to ultimately achieve irradiation uniformity of 1% on direct‐drive capsules with shaped laser pulses (dynamic range ≳400:1). The OMEGA program for the next five years includes plasma physics experiments to investigate laser–matter interaction physics at temperatures, densities, and scale lengths approaching those of direct‐drive capsules designed for the 1.8 MJ National Ignition Facility (NIF); experiments to characterize and mitigate the deleterious effects of hydrodynamic instabilities; and implosion experiments with capsules that are hydrodynamically equivalent to high‐gain, direct‐drive capsules. Details are presented of the OMEGA direct‐drive experimental program and initial data from direct‐drive implosion experiments that have achieved the highest thermonuclear yield (1014 DT neutrons) and yield efficienc...

Efficient phase-matched second-harmonic generation and sum-frequency mixing in urea

The performance of urea as a new nonlinear optical crystal for phase-matched second-harmonic generation and sum-frequency mixing in the UV is reported. Tunable radiation down to 229 nm was obtained. In particular, efficient doubling at room temperature of CW argon laser lines from 488 to 528 nm was achieved. The nonlinear coefficient of urea was measured and found to be 2.5 times that of ADP. Angle tuning curves for type II SHG, several type II frequency mixing schemes, temperature tuning data, and comparison to other nonlinear materials are presented. More accurate Sellmeier constants were also obtained using the measured angle tuning curve for type I SHG.

Nonlinear optical properties of urea

Abstract We report measurements on the second and third order nonlinear hyperpolarizabilities of the urea molecule using the techniques of dc field induced second-harmonic generation and four-wave mixing. Single crystals of urea have been grown and found to have high optical damage thresholds from the near ir to the uv region of the spectrum.

Experimental investigation of smoothing by spectral dispersion

Measurements of smoothing rates for smoothing by spectral dispersion (SSD) of high-power, solid-state laser beams used for inertial confinement fusion (ICF) research are reported. Smoothing rates were obtained from the intensity distributions of equivalent target plane images for laser pulses of varying duration. Simulations of the experimental data with the known properties of the phase plates and the frequency modulators are in good agreement with the experimental data. These results inspire confidence in extrapolating to higher bandwidths and other SSD configurations that may be suitable for ICF experiments and ultimately for direct-drive laser-fusion ignition.

Urea optical parametric oscillator

The operation of the first optical parametric oscillator using a urea crystal is reported. Tunable radiation in both the visible and IR was obtained with conversion efficiencies as high as 20%.

Interaction of picosecond optical pulses with high Tc superconducting films

Infrared pulses (1.06 μm wavelength, ≊150 ps long) from a Nd:YAG laser illuminated a superconducting YBa2Cu3O7 granular film, 0.7 μm thick. This caused the film to switch from the superconducting to the normal (resistive) state in less than 2 ns, followed by a much slower recovery ∼1 μs. The initial fast switching may be explained by nonequilibrium hot‐electron energy transfer from the top absorbing layer (≊100 nm thick) through the film, followed by an essentially bolometric response and cooldown via equilibrium thermal conduction out of the film.

Performance of 1-THz-bandwidth, two-dimensional smoothing by spectral dispersion and polarization smoothing of high-power, solid-state laser beams

Laser beam smoothing achieved with 1-THz-bandwidth, two-dimensional smoothing by spectral dispersion and polarization smoothing on the 60-beam, 30-kJ, 351-nm OMEGA laser system is reported. These beam-smoothing techniques are directly applicable to direct-drive ignition target designs for the 192-beam, 1.8-MJ, 351-nm National Ignition Facility. Equivalent-target-plane images for constant-intensity laser pulses of varying duration were used to determine the smoothing. The properties of the phase plates, frequency modulators, and birefringent wedges were simulated and found to be in good agreement with the measurements.

Picosecond response of gallium-nitride metal–semiconductor–metal photodetectors

Metal–semiconductor–metal ultraviolet photodiodes fabricated on GaN were tested in the picosecond regime with an electro-optic sampling system. A device with a feature size of 1 μm showed a response with 1.4 ps rise time and 3.5 ps full width at half maximum. The derived electron velocity, 1.43×107 cm/s, is in good agreement with independent photoexcitation measurements. A slower impulse response was observed in a device with smaller feature size of 0.5 μm.

A self-calibrating, multichannel streak camera for inertial confinement fusion applications

Self-calibrating, multichannel UV streak cameras have been designed, and six units have been deployed on the OMEGA laser system. These instruments acquire 12 channels simultaneously on a low-noise, charge-coupled-device camera in single-shot operation. The instruments can discern temporal features out to a bandwidth of 11 GHz, and the peak signal-to-noise ratio in each channel is 200:1. The unique feature of this system is the self-calibration ability built into it. The geometric distortions, flat field, and sweep speed of each channel can be measured and adjusted on a routine basis. By maintaining a strick regime of weekly calibrations, accurate power-balance measurements on the OMEGA laser can be obtained. These cameras represent a cost-effective solution for power balancing the OMEGA laser system.

A Study of Geometry Effects on the Performance of Ballistic Deflection Transistor

We present the results of an experimental study of dimensional ratios dependencies on the performance of a ballistic deflection transistor (BDT) operating in a quasi-ballistic regime. Experimental transconductance change based on geometry variations is studied for smaller and larger devices with channel width of 300 and 500 nm, respectively. Transconductance variation for a series of drain biases is also observed for a specific geometry and dimension. By means of Monte Carlo modeling we report the effect of different geometry parameters on the transfer characteristics of BDTs. The strength of the gate control in the InGaAs channel is analyzed.