Photoionization of Atomic Neon Induced Using Nanosecond Pulses of Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV)

We report on spectral investigations of Neon-photoionized plasma in the EUV and ultraviolet/visible (UV/VIS) ranges generated by nanosecond pulses of EUV. The EUV source is based on a gas puff target irradiated with Nd:YAG laser. The radiations from the EUV sources were collected and focused using different EUV collectors. The EUV radiations were focused on the Ne gas stream, injected into a vacuum chamber synchronously with the EUV pulses. Irradiation of the Ne gas resulted in photoionized plasmas formation consisted of atoms and ions with different ionization states. Differences in spectral line strengths for Ne ions were observed. The strongest spectral lines are from the neutral and singly ionized Ne emission lines. Using the Boltzmann plot method and with an assumption of a partial local thermodynamic equilibrium, the plasma electron temperature was estimated from the characteristic emission lines based on Ne II and Ne I species. A spectral analysis code PrismSPECT has been used to reproduce the experimental spectra theoretically. A summary of the results and the basic atomic processes dominated in the plasma is briefly discussed.