Solid state experiments at very high pressures and strain rates are possible on high power laser facilities, albeit over brief intervals of time and spatial small scales. A new shockless drive has been developed on the Omega laser. VISAR measurements establish the high strain rates, 10{sup 7}-10{sup 8} s{sup -1}. Solid-state strength is inferred using the Rayleigh-Taylor instability as a ''diagnostic''. Temperature and compression in polycrystalline samples can be deduced from EXAFS measurements. Lattice response can be inferred from time-resolved x-ray diffraction. Deformation mechanisms can be identified by examining recovered samples. We will briefly review this new area of laser-based materials science research, then present a path forward for carrying these solid-state experiments to much higher pressures, P >> 1 Mbar, on the NIF laser facility.

Spatially Resolved X-Ray Diffraction (SRXRD) has been used to identify a previously unobserved low temperature ferrite ({delta})/austenite({gamma}) phase transformation in the heat affected zone (HAZ) of 2205 Duplex Stainless Steel (DSS) welds. In this ''ferrite dip'' transformation, the ferrite transforms to austenite during heating to peak temperatures on the order of 750 C, and re-transforms to ferrite during cooling, resulting in a ferrite volume fraction equivalent to that in the base metal. Time Resolved X-Ray Diffraction (TRXRD) and laser dilatometry measurements during Gleeble{reg_sign} thermal simulations are performed in order to verify the existence of this low temperature phase transformation. Thermodynamic and kinetic models for phase transformations, including both local-equilibrium and para-equilibrium diffusion controlled growth, show that diffusion of substitutional alloying elements does not provide a reasonable explanation for the experimental observations. On the other hand, the diffusion of interstitial alloying elements may be rapid enough to explain this behavior. Based on both the experimental and modeling results, two mechanisms for the ''ferrite dip'' transformation, including the formation and decomposition of secondary austenite and an athermal martensitic-type transformation of ferrite to austenite, are considered.

The Tevatron Electron Lens was originally designed to alleviate the tune shift and spread induced in Tevatron antiproton bunches from interactions with the proton bunches. We report recent developments and successful results of such tune-shift compensation. Lifetime measurements are central to our data and the basis of our analysis. Future goals and possible uses for the lens are also discussed.

Simulation aspects of beam collimation are described along with a number of tools and methods developed and used within the MARS14 framework. The tools and methods were implemented in order to relieve the burden of simulations needed for reliable calculations required for design of efficient collimation systems at high-intensity accelerators and colliders.

The NIF Power Conditioning System (PCS) resides in four Capacitor Bays, supplying energy to the Master and Power Amplifiers which reside in the two adjacent laser bays. Each capacitor bay will initially house 48 individual power conditioning modules, shown in Figure 2, with space reserved for expansion to 54 modules. The National Ignition Facility (NIF) Power Conditioning System (PCS) is a modular capacitive energy storage system that will be capable of storing nearly 400 MJ of electrical energy and delivering that energy to the nearly 8000 flashlamps in the NIF laser. The first sixteen modules of the power conditioning system have been built, tested and installed. Activation of the first nine power conditioning modules has been completed and commissioning of the first ''bundle'' of laser beamlines has begun. This paper will provide an overview of the power conditioning system design and describe the status and results of initial testing and activation of the first ''bundle'' of power conditioning modules.

Integrated all-optical logic gates that exploit the optical gain quenching effect in laterally optically pumped semiconductor multi-section edge-emitting lasers (SMEELs) are described. An accurate 2D time-domain (TD) model was implemented to investigate the gates' gain, modulation depth, and speed. Gain Quenched Laser Logic (GQLL) offer the potential of integrating several processing functions on the same chip and has many applications for all-optical high-speed switching. Lasers with optical gain control capable of routing and logic functions have been demonstrated via the gain quenching effect. In an inverter gate the laser output power is quenched when an optical input signal laterally coupled to the laser (control region) is high. NOR and NAND gates are achievable by adding other arms. The basic configuration of a GQLL device is schematically depicted in Fig. 1 . The Boolean completeness of this technology, the recent achievement in high laser modulation bandwidths, and the possibility of integrating lasers and passive waveguide interconnects progress using standard microelectronics fabrication techniques, makes GQLL the basis for a high-speed photonic logic family.