Plasma expansion into a waveguide created by a linearly polarized femtosecond laser pulse
- GoLP/Instituto de Plasmas e Fusão Nuclear – Laboratório Associado, Instituto Superior Técnico, 1049-001 Lisbon (Portugal)
- University of Strathclyde, Department of Physics, Scottish Universities Physics Alliance, John Anderson Building, 107 Rottenrow, Glasgow, G4 0NG (United Kingdom)
We demonstrate the efficient generation of 4 mm and 8 mm long plasma waveguides in hydrogen and helium. These waveguides have matching spots sizes for 13 to 34 μm laser beams. The plasma waveguides are created by ultra-short laser pulses (sub-picosecond) of moderate intensities, ∼10{sup 15}–10{sup 16} W cm{sup −2}, that heat the plasma to initial temperatures of tens of eV in order to create a hot plasma column that will expand into a plasma waveguide. We have determined that the main heating mechanism when using fs laser pulses and plasma densities ∼10{sup 18–19} cm{sup −3} is Above Threshold Ionization. Detailed time and space electron density measurements are presented for the laser produced plasma waveguides.
- OSTI ID:
- 22228045
- Journal Information:
- Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 20, Issue 6; Other Information: (c) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1070-664X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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