Cavity-enhanced Thomson scattering measurements of electron density and temperature in a hollow cathode discharge

Opt Lett. 2018 Nov 1;43(21):5343-5346. doi: 10.1364/OL.43.005343.

Abstract

A cavity-enhanced Thomson scattering (CETS) diagnostic has been developed to perform electron density and temperature measurements in low-density weakly ionized discharges. The diagnostic approach is based on generating a high-power beam in an optical build-up cavity and using the beam as a light source for Thomson scattering from plasma housed within the cavity. In our setup, a high-power (∼5 W) fiber laser at 1064 nm allows an intra-cavity power of 11.7 kW in a two-mirror cavity for measurements in the plume of a BaO hollow cathode discharge. A study of plasma density and temperature was performed at various operating conditions. Electron densities and temperatures in the range of ∼1012 cm-3 and ∼3 eV were measured, respectively. The high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the present measurements (SNR=1100) suggests the ability to measure significantly lower density plasmas in the range of ∼3×109 to 3×1010 cm-3, thereby extending current laser Thomson scattering diagnostic capabilities.