The high-intensity short pulse laser beam generates hot plasmas on the solid
surfaces which contain highly ionized atoms. One of the most exciting application
of laser plasma investigations with short pulse lasers is the generation of
ultrashort x-ray and UV pulses.
Vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) spectroscopy is carried out in the 10-200 nm range
using holographic toroidal gratings and phosphor-coated microchannel-plate
detectors. The VUV radiation is thus spectrally resolved and then converted
to visible light, which is then detected by CCD detecors. Extreme-ultraviolet
(EUV) spectroscopy can be carried out by transmission gratings in the 1-30
nm spectral range.
The effects of prepulses onto the conversion ratio is investigated at present.
Another interest is the investigation of the early stage, near-threshold effects
for laser plasmas generated by subpicosecond, UV laser pulses.