Abstract
AbstractWe will review some of the requirements for a laser that would be used with a laser fusion energy power plant, including frequency, spatial beam smoothing, bandwidth, temporal pulse shaping, efficiency, repetition rate, and reliability. The lowest risk and optimum approach uses a krypton fluoride gas laser. A diode-pumped solid-state laser is a possible contender.
Highlights
This review paper has been written with the assumption that the readers are primarily laser scientists who would like an overview of the various optimizations and design constraints for the laser that would be used in a laser fusion power plant.In 1971–1972, scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory publicly proposed a new concept, called laser fusion, as a long-term option to generate electric power[1]
The targets would be uniformly illuminated by multiple laser beams that would enter from holes in the chamber wall
The cold fuel would spherically compress to high densities
Summary
This review paper has been written with the assumption that the readers are primarily laser scientists who would like an overview of the various optimizations and design constraints for the laser that would be used in a laser fusion power plant.In 1971–1972, scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory publicly proposed a new concept, called laser fusion, as a long-term option to generate electric power[1]. The specific dimensions of each layer depend upon the laser energy and wavelength, the target smoothness, and on various other optimizations that are chosen to minimize the risks of laser–plasma and hydrodynamic instabilities. For a purely spherical target with direct illumination, using a short laser wavelength, and with optical beam smoothing, several of these instabilities are not important during the compression of the DT fuel.
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