Soft x-ray emission from laser-produced strontium ions

Abstract

Soft x-ray spectra, in the range from 2 nm to 9 nm, were recorded from strontium plasmas formed by pulses from 20 ps, 170 ps and 5.5 ns Nd:YAG lasers operating at the fundamental wavelength of 1064 nm. Features due to 3d–4p and 3d–4f transitions were identified by comparison with spectra from adjacent ions and atomic structure calculations with both the Cowan code and the Flexible Atomic Code. As in the spectra of ions of other elements in the fifth row of the periodic table, resonant lines 3dn–3dn−14p1, 3dn–3dn−14f1 and satellite lines 3dn−14s1–3dn−24s14p1, 3dn−14s1–3dn−24s14f1 of Δn = 1 were observed over the 3.0–8.5 nm region, emitted by 10+ to 19+ ions. These Δn = 1 transitions provide a range of narrow band emission features which may match to specific multi layer combinations for reflective optics in the extreme ultraviolet region of the spectrum.