Abstract

The Los Alamos KrF laser development program has as one of its goals the demonstration of the technology of efficient low-cost amplifiers that will deliver 100-kJ output beams. Scaling of KrF amplifiers to these energy levels results in new technology choices for critical amplifier components. The most significant and demanding change in technology for 100-kJ class KrF amplifiers is the need to segment the cathode to limit the power requirement for the guide magnetic field and to reduce the likelihood of catastrophic failure by limiting the energy transmitted through any one pulsed-power system and e-gun assembly. The segmentation of the e-gun leads to the adoption of expanding electron flow designs that will incorporate laminated iron cathodes for b-field shaping, single large radial bushings for each e-gun, and multiple switches attached to triplicate pulse forming lines.

© 1985 Optical Society of America