The NIF Integrated Timing System - Design and Performance

TL;DR

The paper presents the design and performance evaluation of the NIF Integrated Timing System, capable of delivering highly precise trigger pulses with minimal jitter and wander, supporting multiple clients simultaneously in a large laser facility.

Contribution

It introduces a novel timing system architecture that achieves sub-20 ps jitter and supports concurrent multi-client operation using commercially available hardware.

Findings

Trigger pulse jitter less than 20 ps (rms)

Trigger wander less than 100 ps (max)

Supports multiple independent clients simultaneously

Abstract

The National Ignition Facility (NIF) will contain the world's most powerful laser. NIF requires more than 1500 precisely timed trigger pulses to control the timing of laser and diagnostic equipment. The Integrated Timing System applies new concepts to generate and deliver triggers at preprogrammed times to equipment throughout the laser and target areas of the facility. Trigger pulses during the last 2 seconds of a shot cycle are required to have a jitter of less than 20 ps (rms) and a wander of less than 100 ps (max). Also, the Timing System allows simultaneous, independent use by multiple clients by partitioning the system hardware into subsets that are controlled via independent software keys. The hardware necessary to implement the Integrated Timing System is commercially available. -- This work is performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under contract No. W-7405-Eng-48.