10-Hz grazing--incidence pumped Ni-like Mo x-ray laser.

The operation of a Ni-like Mo x-ray laser at 18.9 nm with a repetition rate of 10 Hz has been demonstrated. The laser has been pumped applying the grazing incidence pump arrangement, where a short (picoseconds) pulse irradiates a Mo plasma column generated by a long (a few hundred picoseconds) pulse. The delayed short pulse is incident at a grazing angle on the plasma to heat it efficiently. We used a total energy of less than 450 mJ ( 150 mJ in the long and 250-300 mJ in the short pulse) in a line focus of 7 mm by 50 microm .