The requirement from large scale facilities for high repetition rate operations is rapidly approaching, and is increasingly important for studies into high intensity secondary source generation, QED studies and the push for inertial confinement fusion. It is envisioned that multiple PW systems at high repetition rates will be built for projects such as the European Extreme Light Infrastructure project. Depending on the interaction physics involved, a number of differing parameters in the interaction increase in importance, including positioning accuracy and target surface quality, and to ensure reproducible optimum interaction conditions, presents a significant problem for accurate target positioning. With these requirements in mind, a co-ordinated project is underway at the Central Laser Facility amongst the experimental science, engineering and target fabrication groups, to tackle some of the challenges that we as a community face in working towards high repetition rate operations. Here we present the latest work being undertaken at the CLF to improve capability in key areas of this project, specifically in the areas of reliable motion control and rapid target positioning.

Date Published: 10 September 2014
PDF: 8 pages
Proc. SPIE 9211, Target Diagnostics Physics and Engineering for Inertial Confinement Fusion III, 921107 (10 September 2014); doi: 10.1117/12.2061803

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 9211:
Target Diagnostics Physics and Engineering for Inertial Confinement Fusion III
Perry M. Bell; Gary P. Grim, Editor(s)