Luminescent Characteristics Study of a Mather-Type Dense Plasma Focus and Application to Laser Optical Pumping

A detailed investigation of the luminescent characteristics of a Mather-type dense plasma focus (MDPF) is performed. In addition, for the first time, the MDPF is utilized as an optical pump source for lasers. The main MDPF radiation output is a continuum emission created by intense high-energy electron bombardment of the beam-target material in the top of the center electrode. For a high atomic weight beam-target material, peak emission occurs from 5 to 10 eV. The long-wavelength tail of the continuum extends into the visible region up to 600 nm. Electrical-to-optical conversion efficiency in the 115-to-600 nm wavelength region is measured to be greater than 50%. Improvements in the MDPF's electrode design increase its versatility by showing successful low voltage operation at 5 kV. The first practical use of the MDPF's radiation was to photolytically pump organic dye lasers. In a proof-of-principle experiment rhodamine 6G dye is employed to generate a 250 mJ/cm('3) laser energy density. Due to its intense vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) emission, the MDPF is an ideal candidate for optically pumping very-short-wavelength lasers. The hard and soft X-ray emissions as well as the VUV output of the MDPF also make it a viable high-intensity source for high-throughput microlithography processes.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Electrical Engineering

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2014

Author dc:creator

• Fanning, James Jay

• Engineering, Electronics and Electrical

Identifier

(UMI)AAI8622560

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/69337