Spatially resolved X-ray laser spectra and demonstration of gain in nickel-like systems

A recent series of experiments have provided spatially resolved near field images of several candidate x-ray lasing transition in neon-like, nickel-like, and hydrogen-like ions from laser-produced plasmas. From these time-gated, spatially, and spectrally resolved measurements the source size for the J=0-1 and the J=2-1 transitions in Ne-like selenium have been determined. Source regions as small as 50 μm have been observed on transitions with gain-length products >9. In addition, the authors have obtained the first experimental evidence for the amplification of spontaneous emission in the nickel-like ions of europium and ytterbium. Gains of order 1 cm/sup -1/ and gain-length products of up to 3.8 are observed on the J=0-1,4d-4p transitions in Eu/sup +35/ at 65.83 and 71.00A. Analogous transitions in Yb/sup +42/ have been identified and some evidence for ASE has been observed