Abstract
Funding for the Omega Laser Upgrade project has been approved and the design of a 30-kJ 351-nm 60-beam laser system has begun. This system will provide a unique capability to validate high-performance/direct-drive laser-fusion targets. We highlight various design features of a system that will attain 1-2% irradiation uniformity with versatile pulse shaping, thus providing a wide range of irradiation options for direct-drive experiments. The Nd:glass laser system consists of sixty beam lines using 15- and 20-cm disk power amplifiers, frequency tripling, phase conversion with diffractive optics, and smoothing by spectral dispersion. The initial pulse shape will be achieved by coaxial propagation of two beams having different pulse widths. These main and foot pulses will occupy different portions of the laser aperture. In addition, electro-optic technology will be used for shaping and truncation of these pulses.
© 1992 Optical Society of America
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