SATURATION IN A NI-LIKE PD SOFT-X-RAY LASER AT 14.7 NM

Institute of Applied Physics, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland~Received 22 June 1998; revised manuscript received 14 September 1998!Here we report on what is to our knowledge, the first achievement of saturated output in a collisionallypumped, Ni-like Pd soft-x-ray laser at 14.7 nm (J50-1 line!. Using a single prepulse scheme and a 100-pspulse duration we were able to observe the onset of saturated output and to measure a gain-length product of15.8 ~gain58.3 cm