Self-waveguiding of relativistic laser pulses in neutral gas channels
We demonstrate that an ultrashort high intensity laser pulse can propagate for hundreds of Rayleigh ranges in a prepared neutral hydrogen channel by generating its own plasma waveguide as it propagates; the front of the pulse generates a waveguide that confines the rest of the pulse. A wide range of...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
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American Physical Society
2020
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| _version_ | 1797086536969224192 |
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| author | Feder, L Miao, B Shrock, JE Goffin, A Milchberg, HM |
| author_facet | Feder, L Miao, B Shrock, JE Goffin, A Milchberg, HM |
| author_sort | Feder, L |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | We demonstrate that an ultrashort high intensity laser pulse can propagate for hundreds of Rayleigh ranges in a prepared neutral hydrogen channel by generating its own plasma waveguide as it propagates; the front of the pulse generates a waveguide that confines the rest of the pulse. A wide range of suitable initial index structures and gas densities will support this “self-waveguiding” process; the necessary feature is that the gas density on axis is a minimum. Here, we demonstrate self-waveguiding of pulses of at least 1.5 × 1017 W/cm2 (normalized vector potential a0 ∼ 0.3) over 10 cm, or ∼100 Rayleigh ranges, limited only by our laser energy and length of our gas jet. We predict and observe characteristic oscillations corresponding to mode-beating during self-waveguiding. The self-waveguiding pulse leaves in its wake a fully ionized low-density plasma waveguide which can guide another pulse injected immediately following; we demonstrate optical guiding of such a follow-on probe pulse. The method is well suited to laser wakefield acceleration and other applications requiring a long laser-matter interaction length. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T02:23:30Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:a4c59aed-363a-4855-9fc2-4a32ea7e5437 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T02:23:30Z |
| publishDate | 2020 |
| publisher | American Physical Society |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:a4c59aed-363a-4855-9fc2-4a32ea7e54372022-03-27T02:36:00ZSelf-waveguiding of relativistic laser pulses in neutral gas channelsJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:a4c59aed-363a-4855-9fc2-4a32ea7e5437EnglishSymplectic ElementsAmerican Physical Society2020Feder, LMiao, BShrock, JEGoffin, AMilchberg, HMWe demonstrate that an ultrashort high intensity laser pulse can propagate for hundreds of Rayleigh ranges in a prepared neutral hydrogen channel by generating its own plasma waveguide as it propagates; the front of the pulse generates a waveguide that confines the rest of the pulse. A wide range of suitable initial index structures and gas densities will support this “self-waveguiding” process; the necessary feature is that the gas density on axis is a minimum. Here, we demonstrate self-waveguiding of pulses of at least 1.5 × 1017 W/cm2 (normalized vector potential a0 ∼ 0.3) over 10 cm, or ∼100 Rayleigh ranges, limited only by our laser energy and length of our gas jet. We predict and observe characteristic oscillations corresponding to mode-beating during self-waveguiding. The self-waveguiding pulse leaves in its wake a fully ionized low-density plasma waveguide which can guide another pulse injected immediately following; we demonstrate optical guiding of such a follow-on probe pulse. The method is well suited to laser wakefield acceleration and other applications requiring a long laser-matter interaction length. |
| spellingShingle | Feder, L Miao, B Shrock, JE Goffin, A Milchberg, HM Self-waveguiding of relativistic laser pulses in neutral gas channels |
| title | Self-waveguiding of relativistic laser pulses in neutral gas channels |
| title_full | Self-waveguiding of relativistic laser pulses in neutral gas channels |
| title_fullStr | Self-waveguiding of relativistic laser pulses in neutral gas channels |
| title_full_unstemmed | Self-waveguiding of relativistic laser pulses in neutral gas channels |
| title_short | Self-waveguiding of relativistic laser pulses in neutral gas channels |
| title_sort | self waveguiding of relativistic laser pulses in neutral gas channels |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT federl selfwaveguidingofrelativisticlaserpulsesinneutralgaschannels AT miaob selfwaveguidingofrelativisticlaserpulsesinneutralgaschannels AT shrockje selfwaveguidingofrelativisticlaserpulsesinneutralgaschannels AT goffina selfwaveguidingofrelativisticlaserpulsesinneutralgaschannels AT milchberghm selfwaveguidingofrelativisticlaserpulsesinneutralgaschannels |