Expansion of laser discharge in xenon jet improves EUV-light emission

Abstract

We consider a laser discharge in xenon jet as a source of extreme ultraviolet (EUV)-light. For realistic plasma parameters, it is shown that the plasma with multiply charged ions, initially arising in the focal region of a laser beam, expands due to photoionization of a surrounding gas and consecutive electron heating by a conductive thermal flux from the region of the laser power deposition. The theoretical model agrees well with the available experiments aimed at the development of a point-like EUV-light source for high-resolution lithography.