On developing a table top soft x‐ray laser

We describe progress on the development of a table top soft x‐ray laser pumped by a Nd/Glass laser of less than 10 J pulse energy. We present recent results on the spatial distribution of soft x‐ray radiation from the gain region and near the cooling blades. We also present data on gain measurements for the transition to the ground level in LiIII at 13.5 nm using a powerful subpicosecond laser system.