Grazing incidence pumping of an 18.9 nm Ni-like Mo X-ray laser

Results of an experiment investigating the grazing-incidence pumping of a Ni-like Mo X-ray laser are presented. The X-ray laser was produced with a 600 mJ, 500 ps background pulse and a 250 mJ, 240 fs main pulse. X-ray laser output was measured using a flat-field spectrometer modified to record both the first- and second-order output of the molybdenum lasing emission. Time-resolved data was obtained using an Axis-Photonique PX1 X-ray streak camera coupled to the first order output of the flat-field spectrometer. It is shown that saturated X-ray laser output is produced with energy up to 150 nJ, and pulse duration of typically 1.7 ps for a range of grazing angles and delays between the background and main pulse. The experimental data is interpreted in terms of a model taking account of the expected ASE variation of X-ray laser output.