Electron beam-pumped excimer lasers are capable of achieving high-power laser output in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) wavelength range, with the advantage of a broad laser wavelength bandwidth and excellent beam uniformity, making them highly competitive candidate drivers for Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF). Enhancing the energy deposition efficiency and lifetime of electron beam-pumped excimer lasers is of paramount importance for their application in ICF. This paper analyzes strategies to improve the energy deposition efficiency and lifespan of these lasers from two perspectives: pulsed power drivers and electron beam diodes. It summarizes the research advancements in this field and provides an overview of future research content and methodologies. The study presented herein aims to offer insights and guidance for the design of efficient and highly reliable electron beam-pumped excimer lasers.
The electron beam pumped excimer laser is a competitive candidate for inertial confinement fusion driver. In the excimer laser system, the diode serves as the core component, for its efficiency and reliability of the diode directly impact the laser's lifespan and electro-optical conversion efficiency. But there are no mature design standards for diodes, and many crucial designs rely on researchers' work experience. Particle-In-Cell Simulation is an efficient method to solve that problem. This article presents the mathematical and physical equations governing the transport of electron beams in the vacuum space of a diode, and discusses the application of Particle-in-Cell (PIC) simulation in the design of semiconductor laser diodes. It concludes that the use of PIC simulation allows for the calculation of the trajectory of electron beams, as well as the energy and angular distributions of the beams reaching the anode. Based on the simulation results, the diode can be optimized. It is found that efficient transportation of electrons to the anode surface can be achieved even without the use of guiding magnetic fields, though a drawback is the relatively large angle and dispersed energy distribution of the electron beams reaching the anode. The research offers insights for the efficient design of diodes.
The excimer laser, with advantages of short wavelength, high energy, and tunable repetition rate, serves as an alternative device for inertial confinement fusion (ICF). However, the current bulky size of excimer lasers presents challenges for engineering implementation, leading to significant engineering difficulties. Modularization of diodes proves to be an effective approach for reducing device volume and engineering complexity. The goal of modularization is to achieve higher efficiency and reliability within a smaller footprint, where numerical calculations of electrostatic fields play a crucial role in realizing these objectives. This paper introduces the applications of electrostatic field numerical calculations in diode insulation structure design, suppression of cathode edge emission effects, and mitigation of electron beam scrapping effects, underscoring the scenarios where excimer laser diodes necessitate the utilization of electrostatic field calculations in their design. The research presented herein can serve as a reference for enhancing the efficiency and reliability of electron-beam-pumped excimer laser diodes.
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