Twelve signals multiplexed with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) optical streak camera

Abstract

At our Nova laser facility, the temporal history of incident and reflected laser energy is recorded on LLNL optical streak cameras. Currently, six cameras are used to record the incident 1.06-{mu}m, incident 0.35{mu}m power of each of the ten Nova beams. Each camera records seven multiplexed signals: typically one signal from each of five beam lines, a fiducial pulse, and time mark generator signal. The optical signals are transported to the camera through optical fibers. The output end of each fiber is placed in the slit plane of the camera. The light exiting the fiber is focused to the streak camera photocathode by the streak camera relay lens. One camera can record a signal from each of the ten Nova beams plus a fiducial and time mark generator signal if the number of multiplexed channels can be increased from seven to twelve. This would allow one camera to record the same data that currently requires two cameras. At a savings of $150 per camera/CCD system, this represents a savings of $450K. Additionally, camera/CCD maintenance and operation complexity would be cut in half and three streak cameras would be freed for use in other experiments. Recent laboratory measurements suggest that themore » number of multiplexed signals per camera can indeed be increased from seven to twelve without noticeably increasing the crosstalk between signal channels. In this memorandum, we describe recent work in which seven and twelve signals were multiplexed to one streak camera. We describe the effect focusing has on the crosstalk channels and the effect wavelength has on focusing. We conclude the memorandum with suggestions concerning the implementation of a twelve channel system.« less