Implementation of a CPA line-focus travelling-wave for highly efficient saturated lasing of Ne-like Ti and Ge

The development of X-ray lasers is marked by the progression toward shorter wavelengths using less drive energy. A recent X-ray laser experiment at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) demonstrated saturated X-ray laser operation in the Ne-like Ti and Ge X-ray laser schemes at 32.6 and 19.6 nm respectively, with a drive energy of only a few joules. In this paper we describe the laser development to generate the laser drive pulses and travelling wave line-focus target irradiation geometry required for this experiment.