Abstract.  Review is presented about the series of works on creation of 10-atmospheric wide aperture (with active volume 5x5x55 cm³ preionized by x-ray source) CO₂-amplifier which was used as main unit of picosecond laser system Picasso [1-4]. The success was reached on putting in operation of this laser system with out put laser energy 22 J and fulfilling of the first experiments on hot plasma ignition by the train of 100 picosecond laser pulses. The new phenomenon was discovered: penetration through metallic shields by the fast (less than 1 nanosecond) magnetic field pulses generated in hot plasma in opposite to long magnetic field pulses which were unable to do this.

Author is analyzing the main technologic problem on creation of such multiatmospheric wide aperture (MAWA) lasers and amplifiers – the necessity to create the large complicated window (10x70 cm² size in case of Picasso facility) on the glass-plastic cylindrical body of the amplifier. This window consists of the pair of metallic flanges with ~ 300 holes (of 10 mm diameter) in every one of them and 50 µm thick aluminum foil between flanges for x-ray entrance into laser volume for its preionization. Such a system would to provide high flux of x-rays and both evacuation of the amplifier’s chamber up to 0.1 torr and its safety operation at excess pressures not less than 10 atm. However, during the all time of the system’s operation the problem was existed on amplifier’s volume pressurization and aluminum foil’s safeness. There for it was impossible to increase further the gas pressure in amplifier.

Author arrived to an idea which can allow the excluding fully the use of such large complicated window system with a foil on MAWA amplifier. According calculations the application of the new proposed approach can provide at least 10-fold increase of the x-ray flux for preionization of laser active volume, - it has the principal important meaning for reaching of stabile volume self sustained discharge for laser volume energy pumping. More over amplifier by the new approach is aimed to be more compact and lighter, easy on production and exploitation and low cost. It means a real progress in production of all kind of high power MAWA lasers and amplifiers, such as: CO₂, HF-DF, N₂O-CO, eximer-lasers, etc.

Author is ready to sell out the technology and patent rights on the new approach about creation of MAWA lasers and amplifiers to organization which will be interested. The demonstration model of such laser may be created in Laser Plasma Company by a contract, which may be organized through ISTC.

References:
1. V.V.Apollonov, K.Kh. Kazakov, N.V.Pletnyev, V.R.Sorochenko. SPIE Proceedings of Int. Sympo-sium “High Power Lasers and Applications”, Osaka, Japan, 1-5 Nov. 1999, v.3886, pp.198-206.
2. V.V.Apollonov, K.Kh. Kazakov, N.V.Pletnyev, V.R.Sorochenko. SPIE Proceedings of Int. Sympo-sium “High Power Lasers and Applications”, Osaka, Japan, 1-5 Nov. 1999, v.3889, pp.351-357.
3. V.V.Apollonov, K.Kh. Kazakov, N.V.Pletnyev, V.R.Sorochenko. Proc. of Intern. Conf. “Lasers’2001”, Ticson, Arizona, USA, Dec. 3-7, 2001.
4. V.V.Apollonov, K.Kh. Kazakov, N.V.Pletnyev, V.R.Sorochenko. Proc. of XIV Intern. Symposium on Gas Flow and Chemical Lasers and High Power Laser Conf., Wroclaw, Poland, 26-30 August, 2002.