Development of two-color laser imaging interferometer using CO₂ laser and quantum cascade laser in the large helical device

CO₂ laser interferometers are a promising option for high-density plasma measurements. However, in low- and middle-density measurements, noise due to mechanical vibrations is a serious problem. To remove this noise, we developed a two-color laser imaging interferometer using a CO₂ laser and quantum cascade (QC) laser, called the CO₂/QC laser imaging interferometer, through benchtop experiments and installed it in the Large Helical Device (LHD). Benchtop experiments provided optical design guidelines for the CO₂/QC laser imaging interferometer to minimize the influence of the unstable output wavelength of the QC laser. The optical system in LHD was designed according to this guideline, and the vibration noise was successfully reduced to 2.80 × 10¹⁸ m⁻³. We also demonstrate measurement examples of hollowed and peaked electron density profiles evaluated using Abel inversion and macro-scale instability. This is the first study to present the measurement results of high-temperature plasma using a CO₂/QC two-color laser interferometer. The study outcomes provide important insights for the development of two-color laser interferometers in future fusion devices. (author)