Demonstration of a Ni-like Kr optical-field-ionization collisional soft x-ray laser at 32.8 nm.

We report the first experimental demonstration of a Ni-like optical-field ionization collisional soft x-ray laser. The amplifying medium is generated by focusing a circularly polarized 760 mJ, 30 fs, 10-Hz Ti:sapphire laser beam in a few mm cell filled with krypton. We have measured a gain coefficient of 78 cm(-1) on the 3d(9)4d 1S0-3d(9)4p(1)P1 transition at 32.

Saturated amplification of a collisionally pumped optical-field-ionization soft X-ray laser at 41.8 nm.

We report the first saturated amplification of an optical-field-ionization soft x-ray laser. The amplifying medium is generated by focusing a circularly polarized 330-mJ, 35-fs, 10-Hz Ti:sapphire laser system in a few-mm cell filled with xenon. A gain of 67 cm(-1) on the 4d(9)5p-4d(9)5d transition at 41.