The interaction of polarized microwaves with planar arrays of femtosecond laser-produced plasma filaments in air
- INRS-Energie, Materiaux et Telecommunications, Universite du Quebec, Varennes, Quebec J3X 1S2 (Canada)
- Defense R and D Canada Valcartier, Quebec G3J 1X5 (Canada)
The interaction of polarized microwaves with subwavelength arrays of parallel plasma filaments, such as those produced by the propagation of high-power femtosecond laser pulses in ambient air, was investigated by calculating the reflection and transmission coefficients as a function of the incidence angles using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. The time evolution of these coefficients was calculated and compared with experiments. It is found that the plasma filaments array becomes transparent when the polarization of the microwave radiation is perpendicular to the filaments axis, regardless the incidence angle of the microwave with respect to the filaments, except near grazing incidence. Increasing the filaments electron density or diameter, or decreasing the electron collision frequency or filaments spacing, decreases the transmission and increases the reflection. Transmission decreases when increasing the number of filament layers while reflection remains unchanged as the number of filament layers exceeds a given number ({approx}3 in our case). Transmission slightly increases when disorder is introduced in the filament arrays. The detailed calculation results are compared with those obtained from the simple birefringent slab model, which provides a convenient framework to calculate approximately the properties of filament arrays.
- OSTI ID:
- 22113471
- Journal Information:
- Physics of Plasmas, Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 20; ISSN PHPAEN; ISSN 1070-664X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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