Polarimetry diagnostic on OMEGA EP using a 10-ps, 263-nm probe beam

A polarimetry diagnostic was built and characterized formagnetic-fieldmeasurements in laser-plasma experiments on the OMEGA EP laser. This diagnostic was built into the existing 4 omega (263-nm) probe system that employs a 10-ps laser pulse collected with an f/4 imaging system. The diagnostic measures the rotation of the probe beam's polarization. The polarimeter uses a Wollaston prism to split the probe beam into orthogonal polarization components. Spatially localized intensity variations between images indicate polarization rotation. Magnetic fields can be calculated by combining the polarimetry data with the measured plasma density profile obtained from angular filter refractometry. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.