Studies on Laser Generated Vacuum Ultraviolet Radiation and Spectroscopic Investigations of Light Elements in Laser-Produced Plasmas

A system for generating and detecting laser-produced radiation in
the wavelength region below 200 nm has been constructed.
The generation techniques are mainly based on nonlinear frequency
mixing processes in gaseous media. Other techniques for the
production of vacuum ultraviolet radiation, for instance the use of
a laser-produced plasma, are briefly discussed.
Laser-produced plasmas have also been used for the production of
free atoms and ions from the light elements boron, carbon and
silicon. Laser spectroscopic experiments have been performed on
these elements, and it has been shown that the hostile environments
in the plasma plume do not hinder accurate measurements of radiative
lifetimes and hyperfine structure constants. Amplified spontaneous
emission for carbon atoms in the plasma was also investigated.