New x-ray laser schemes: toward hard radiation

Possibilities for creating an active medium for hard X-ray lasers using superbright (intensity in excess of 10 exp 17 W/sq cm) laser radiation pumping are examined. Several possible X-ray laser schemes are evaluated, and their advantages and disadvantages discussed. It is shown that an inner ionization type scheme is particularly promising for the realization of hard X-ray lasers.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.