Lasers for ICF with a Controllable Function of Mutual Coherence of Radiation

The current status of laser thermonuclear fusion research in the leading world scientific centers is characterized by the development of superhigh-power multi-channel laser facilities of megajoule pulse-energy level. The development of such laser installations operating in the pulse-repetition mode with a large number of laser beams, which are necessary for high-symmetry irradiation of a spherical thermonuclear target, is an extremely difficult physical and engineering problem. The concept of a special laser with a controllable function of mutual coherence of radiation is proposed. The studies performed demonstrate that a laser based on such a principle has a number of advantages as compared to the conventional schemes of lasers. In particular, the optical scheme of the laser is significantly simplified, and the cost of the output-energy unit is reduced by several times. The influence of radiation coherence on the homogeneity of the thermonuclear target irradiation is analyzed. The feasibility of suppressing the small-scale self-focusing without application of spatial filtration is shown. A module of the laser facility has been triggered to check the validity of the principles proposed for constructing a laser driver for power stations, and the first experimental results are reported. The possibility of controlling the coherence of laser beams used in ICF experiments without violation of the laser--target system matching is demonstrated, as well as controlling the distribution of the laser radiation intensity in the lens focus.